For the first time since it was formed after the 9/11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security is adding white supremacist violence to its list of priority threats in a revised counterterrorism strategy issued Friday.
“The continuing menace of racially based violent extremism, particularly white supremacist extremism, is an abhorrent affront to our nation, the struggle and unity of its diverse population, and the core values of both our society and our department,” said Kevin McAleenan, the acting Homeland secretary, in a speech at the Brookings Institute in Washington.
DHS is stepping up its focus on what McAleenan called “targeted violence,” in which an attacker selects the target in advance, driven by hate. Racism and anti-Semitism have fueled recent attacks on African-American churches, synagogues, and public places in California and Texas, he said.
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Article URL : https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/department-homeland-security-strategy-adds-white-supremacy-list-threats-n1057136