Designation of groups from Italy, Germany and Greece labelled ‘ridiculous’ as experts say no active threat posed
Experts have told the Guardian the same anti-fascist groups the US state department recently named as foreign terrorist organizations and accused of “conspiring to undermine foundations of western civilization” barely qualify as groups, let alone terrorist organizations, and pose no active threat to Americans.
“The whole thing is a bit ridiculous,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, which tracks extremist movements worldwide, “because the groups designated by the administration barely exist and certainly aren’t terrorists.”
In a release put out earlier this month, the Trump administration, which has made no secret of its hatred for leftists in the US and abroad, named Antifa Ost in Germany, the Italy-based International Revolutionary Front, and two organisations in Greece – Armed Proletarian Justice and Revolutionary Class Self Defense – to its long list of designated terrorist organizations.
The point isn’t to actually go after these specific tiny foreign groups. The goal is to brand any organization that’s labeled “Antifa” as a foreign terrorist group. There could be some non violent antifa group in Portland, with no ties to any foreign organization whatsoever. The DOJ can go in, arrest all members, and charge them with terrorism for being members of a foreign terrorist group. Would these charges actually stick in court? No. After years and tens of thousands in attorneys fees, the charges will be dropped. But the process is the punishment.
Are they going to invade Poland, their NATO ally, to arrest them? Because USA laws only apply in the USA.
It’s just a fucking farce, with no consequences other than Trump scoring some points for “fighting far-left radical terrorists”.
Unless he really lost his mind and plans to invade Europe to get rid of these “terrorists”.
Who said anything about foreign action? I just told you exactly what the purpose of this rule is. It’s to maliciously prosecute domestic peaceful protesters. This isn’t some farce or distraction. It’s the core purpose of the thing.
I think they just misread Portland for Poland. That’s where the misunderstanding lies.
Ah yes, I remember reading in history class about that time Stalin and Hitler signed a secret treaty to divide up the territory of the Portland metropolitan area. :D
How can you prosecute domestic terrorists if they are actually foreign terrorists?
I think you’re mixing up the two.
FYI, the article is about foreign terrorist groups, not domestic .
No you are confused. You can prosecute born US citizens for being a member of a foreign terrorist group.
That makes much more sense