US White House launches crackdown on far‑left terrorism
The Trump administration announced a new counter‑terrorism initiative targeting what it calls “far‑left terrorism.” A White House memo identified as NSPM‑7 directs U.S. officials to treat violent far‑left, anarchist, pro‑Iranian, antisemitic and eco‑terrorist groups with the same seriousness as jihadist threats. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the plan would “defund, debank and arrest these political terrorists.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told officials from more than 60 countries that “far‑left terror” had been overlooked for too long. Critics note the policy resembles the FBI’s 1950s–1970s COINTELPRO program, which infiltrated left‑wing and civil‑rights groups. International reaction has included UK police arrests on terrorism charges for pro‑Palestinian signs and UN sanctions on a human‑rights expert for comments on Gaza.
The move has sparked debate over civil liberties and the expanding definition of terrorism in the United States.