General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I smell a big fat KGB rat in all this. [View all]Kid Berwyn
(17,176 posts)by Elizabeth Grimm Arsenault and Joseph Stabile
JustSecority.org, February 6, 2020
A member of the neo-Nazi terror network the Base told a federal prosecutor in December that he believed the groups leader, known then as Norman Spear, was a Russian spy. One month later, the Guardian revealed Spears true name to be Rinaldo Nazzaro and presented evidence that Nazzaro lives in Russia. BBC subsequently reported that Nazzaro was listed as a guest at a 2019 Russian government security exhibition which focused on the demonstration of the results of state policy and achievements.
Though Nazzaros relationship with the Russian government remains uncertain, these reports point to a broader trend: a mutual affection between Western white supremacists and the Russian government. It also highlights the reality that the distinction between foreign terrorism and so-called domestic terrorism is increasingly irrelevant. Dating back to 2004, David Duke characterized Russia as the key to white survival, and American white supremacist Richard Spencer recently identified Russia as the sole white power in the world. Both Jared Taylorfounder of the white supremacist outlet American Renaissanceand Matthew Heimbacha Unite the Right organizer and leader of the now-defunct Traditionalist Workers Partyhave met in person with ultranationalist Russian political leaders in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
For its part, the Russian government has exploited this interest. It has both turned a blind eye to far-right paramilitarism within its own borders and actively cultivated neo-Nazism in the West. These decisions align with its broader project to sow discord in Western democracies and influence transcontinental relations, despite its relatively weak military and economy. Russian President Vladimir Putins support for right-wing violence in the West constitutes an element in his broader destabilization campaign.
In the United States especially, white supremacist terrorists act upon an ideology that is deeply rooted in the countrys history of racist violence. The United States and its Western allies, therefore, must confront the issue of white supremacist terrorism at home and work towards a long overdue recalibration of counterterrorism priorities. But while the United States and its partners must confront this problem at home, they must also remember that hostile foreign powers have exploited homegrown racism for decades. Moreover, as Western counterterrorism efforts against white supremacist violence continue to ramp up (U.S. authorities, for example, have arrested seven members of the Base and a leader of the Unite the Right rally in recent weeks), extremists and aspiring terrorists may seek refuge in a more permissive environment, exacerbating the problem of Russian support.
To degrade existing links between Western extremists and Russian actors, and prevent the further formation of these connections, the United States and its partners must bolster their diplomatic capacity to confront this threat on a global scale. Here, we assess the current nexus between Western right-wing extremists and Russian actors at the state and non-state level. To be clear, we do not have a complete picture of these connections. Further workfrom investigative reporting to intelligence sharingis necessary to discern the scale of links between Western extremists and Russian actors. The counterterrorism community, however, must proactively work to understand this threat to prevent its further growth.
Continues
https://www.justsecurity.org/68420/confronting-russias-role-in-transnational-white-supremacist-extremism/