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Obama to Outline Programs to Counter Lure of Extremist Groups Like ISIS Obama Outlines Programs to Counter Lure of Extremist Groups Like ISIS
(about 2 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday will outline his administration’s efforts to counter what he calls “violent extremism” in a speech to law enforcement, community and religious leaders gathered to discuss how to prevent groups like the Islamic State from recruiting disaffected young people to their ranks. WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday outlined his administration’s efforts to counter what he calls “violent extremism” in a speech to law enforcement, community and religious leaders gathered to discuss how to prevent groups like the Islamic State from recruiting disaffected young people to their ranks.
The sessions on Wednesday — part of a three-day meeting here — will focus on government-backed community pilot programs in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Los Angeles and Boston in which law enforcement and civic and religious leaders have worked together to counter extremist influences. The sessions on Wednesday — part of a three-day meeting here — focused on government-backed community pilot programs in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Los Angeles and Boston in which law enforcement and civic and religious leaders have worked together to counter extremist influences.
“We know from experience that the best way to protect people, especially young people, from falling into the grip of violent extremists is the support of their family, friends, teachers and faith leaders,” Mr. Obama wrote in an opinion piece published in Wednesday’s editions of The Los Angeles Times. “We need to find new ways to amplify the voices of peace and tolerance and inclusion, and we especially need to do it online,” Mr. Obama said in remarks at the summit meeting. “We’ve got to discredit these ideologies. We have to tackle them head on, and we can’t shy away from these discussions.”
“Governments that deny human rights play into the hands of extremists who claim that violence is the only way to achieve change, Mr. Obama wrote in his piece, timed to appear on the first full day of the conference on countering violent extremism. On Thursday, leaders from more than 60 nations will gather at the State Department to discuss the challenge. On Thursday, leaders from more than 60 nations will gather at the State Department to discuss the challenge.
The White House said that domestic anti-extremism programs were a vital nonmilitary way to counter extremism of all kinds, a task that has taken on greater urgency after the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen.The White House said that domestic anti-extremism programs were a vital nonmilitary way to counter extremism of all kinds, a task that has taken on greater urgency after the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen.
But civil liberties groups have grave concerns about such programs, arguing that they could morph into fear-mongering secret surveillance efforts that trample on civil rights and privacy, and that the administration could be giving tacit approval to foreign governments that crack down on their citizens in the name of countering terrorism.But civil liberties groups have grave concerns about such programs, arguing that they could morph into fear-mongering secret surveillance efforts that trample on civil rights and privacy, and that the administration could be giving tacit approval to foreign governments that crack down on their citizens in the name of countering terrorism.
“The concern is that they’re going to create a permanent state of suspicion and fear-based reporting, asking communities all over the United States to report on suspicious behavior without defining what that really means,” said Naureen Shah, the director of the Security and Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA.“The concern is that they’re going to create a permanent state of suspicion and fear-based reporting, asking communities all over the United States to report on suspicious behavior without defining what that really means,” said Naureen Shah, the director of the Security and Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA.
“The fear is that you will have situations where people’s political beliefs are used to brand them as suspicious in a kind of ‘1984’ approach,” she added.“The fear is that you will have situations where people’s political beliefs are used to brand them as suspicious in a kind of ‘1984’ approach,” she added.
Mr. Obama’s top advisers spoke privately with civil liberties groups before the meeting and indicated that the administration was open to addressing those concerns, Ms. Shah said. Still, the conference agenda, which includes 13 sessions on Wednesday alone, did not offer one on civil liberties or privacy concerns.Mr. Obama’s top advisers spoke privately with civil liberties groups before the meeting and indicated that the administration was open to addressing those concerns, Ms. Shah said. Still, the conference agenda, which includes 13 sessions on Wednesday alone, did not offer one on civil liberties or privacy concerns.
The White House said the programs it was highlighting were meant to be run by the communities themselves and not the federal government.The White House said the programs it was highlighting were meant to be run by the communities themselves and not the federal government.
Although the nation’s top federal law enforcement agencies will be involved, officials said, the program is an opportunity for communities to devise their own strategies.Although the nation’s top federal law enforcement agencies will be involved, officials said, the program is an opportunity for communities to devise their own strategies.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh C. Johnson opened the summit on Wednesday morning noting that terrorist organizations have made dramatic progress over the last decade in their ability to communicate via technology. Mr. Obama said that Muslim Americans would have to be included in efforts to counter the Islamic State’s message, and acknowledged that some of them have felt “unfairly targeted” by government-backed antiterrorism efforts to date.
“We see very effective and slick use of the Internet by terrorist organizations — very effective, slick use of social media,” Mr. Johnson said. “They have the ability to reach into our communities and attempt to recruit and inspire individuals who may turn toward violence, right here in the homeland.” ”We have to make sure that abuses stop, are not repeated, that we do not stigmatize entire communities,” Mr. Obama said, adding that “nobody should be profiled” as part of the programs. “Engagement with communities can’t be a cover for surveillance.”
He also addressed the difficulties that some American Muslims feel, arguing that Americans have to “develop a counternarrative” to rebut the message trumpeted by extremist groups.
“We in the administration and the government should give voice to the plight of Muslims living in this country and the discrimination that they face,” Mr. Johnson said.
The White House has been careful to describe the meeting in generic terms, avoiding the phrases “Islamic extremism” or “Muslim extremism” and arguing that the sessions are not focused on any one group.The White House has been careful to describe the meeting in generic terms, avoiding the phrases “Islamic extremism” or “Muslim extremism” and arguing that the sessions are not focused on any one group.
Some Muslim leaders were invited to the summit but declined to attend, including Fahd Ahmed, the acting director of the DRUM-South Asian Organizing Center, an immigrant community group in Queens, N.Y. The government’s approach to countering violent extremism “continues to see Muslim communities only through the lens of security, which inherently implies suspicion,” he said in an interview, calling the programs “discriminatory.”Some Muslim leaders were invited to the summit but declined to attend, including Fahd Ahmed, the acting director of the DRUM-South Asian Organizing Center, an immigrant community group in Queens, N.Y. The government’s approach to countering violent extremism “continues to see Muslim communities only through the lens of security, which inherently implies suspicion,” he said in an interview, calling the programs “discriminatory.”
“We know it is a flawed model,” said Mr. Ahmed, who added that he could not “in good conscience” attend the Washington conference.“We know it is a flawed model,” said Mr. Ahmed, who added that he could not “in good conscience” attend the Washington conference.