Obama admin. aims to broaden approach to extremism at summit

World Today

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson speaks during the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015. Photo: AP

President Barack Obama is convening a summit Wednesday on the threat of violent extremism just as the situation has gotten worse, with the Islamic State group metastasizing and European cities learning firsthand that extremism’s reach is not confined to the Middle East.

As the crises boils over in Yemen and Libya, Obama is asking Congress to take a tough vote backing his military plan to defeat ISIL extremists in Iraq and Syria. U.S. military action has so far proven the wrong tool to combat a robust social media and propaganda operation whose success at recruiting fighters and jihadists from western communities, including such U.S. cities as Denver and Chicago, has been alarmingly impressive.

“In just a very short period of time we’ve come a long way in terrorist organizations ability to communicate,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Wednesday as he opened the second day of the three-day event. “They have the ability to reach into our communities and attempt to recruit and inspire individuals who may turn toward violence right here in the homeland.”

With that threat in mind, Obama is hoping to concentrate the world’s attention on the need to combat the underlying ideologies that entice otherwise modern individuals, including many disaffected youth, to behead a non-believer, kidnap a schoolgirl or shoot up a synagogue. During the three-day conference, Obama is working to highlight local models for preventing radicalization that could be replicated in other communities.

This story is compiled with information from The Associated Press. 


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