The United States on Friday (Jun 14) designated Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM), the largest neo-Nazi group in Sweden, and its three leaders as terrorist, citing its long history of violent attacks and posing a threat to Americans. This is only the second time that Washington has designated a foreign White supremacist organisation and its leaders as terrorists. The leaders designated as terrorists are Tor Fredrik Vejdeland and senior members of the group Pär Öberg and Leif Robert Eklund. The NRM and three of its top leaders have been placed on the Specially Designated Global Terrorists list, said the US State Department in a statement. This is the first time that US President Joe Biden’s administration has made such a designation of a White supremacist group. The designation is part of a broader effort to crack down on White extremists, the Biden administration had previously said. Former President Donald Trump’s administration in 2020 added the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) and its leaders to the list after years of largely targeting Islamist and far-left movements overseas. The NRM’s terror designation was based on its history of violent activity rooted in an “openly racist, anti-immigrant, antisemitic, anti-LGBTQI+ platform,” said the officials in Washington. “The group’s members and leaders have carried out violent attacks against political opponents, protestors, journalists, and other perceived adversaries,” the US State Department said. The US also alleged that members of the movement have collected and prepared weapons and explosive materials, as well as organised training in violent tactics on behalf of the group, in a bid to further their goals. “The United States remains deeply concerned about the racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist threat worldwide and is committed to countering the transnational components of violent white supremacy,” said the US State Department.
via wionews: US designates largest neo-Nazi group in Sweden, its three leaders as terrorist
siehe auch: US designates neo-Nazi Nordic group as global terrorists. The US State Department has taken a significant step in its counterterrorism efforts by designating a neo-Nazi Nordic group (NRM) and three of its key leaders as terrorists. This marks only the second instance in history that the United States has classified a foreign white supremacist organisation in this manner, CNN reported. NRM is the largest neo-Nazi group in Sweden, with branches in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and also Finland, where it has been banned since 2020. NRM members have also taken steps to collect and prepare weapons and explosive materials, including on behalf of the group and in furtherance of its goals. In addition, NRM has organized training in violent tactics, including hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting, US State Department press release said. On Friday, the State Department formally labelled the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM), along with its top officials Tor Fredrik Vejdeland, Par Oberg, and Leif Robert Eklund, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, emphasised the gravity of the decision, highlighting that it is the first such designation made by the Biden administration against a white supremacist group. The Trump administration had previously designated the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) and its leaders under similar terms in 2020. Established in Sweden in 1997, the Nordic Resistance Movement has expanded its influence across Scandinavia, with branches operating in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland. Its activities have not been confined to Sweden, with the organisation facing a ban in Finland in 2020 due to its extremist activities
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