US Homeland Security warns fresh COVID-19 restrictions could spark violent attacks

WASHINGTON: The US Division of Homeland Safety, in a brand new terrorism warning bulletin, mentioned violent extremists may view the reimposition of COVID-19-related restrictions following the unfold of coronavirus variants as a rationale to conduct assaults.
The brand new DHS bulletin additionally warned of the danger of “focused violence” across the twentieth anniversary of the Sept. 11 assaults on New York and Washington and round non secular holidays.
The division mentioned that COVID-19-related stress has “contributed to elevated societal strains and tensions, driving a number of plots by home violent extremists, they usually might contribute to extra violence this 12 months.”
In a bulletin issued in Might, DHS had warned that home extremists may make the most of strikes earlier this 12 months to ease COVID-19 restrictions to launch assaults on a broader vary of targets.
The newest warning bulletin famous that Al-Qaeda’s Arabian Peninsula department had just lately launched the primary English-language model of its “Encourage” journal in 4 years, which DHS says is proof that violent international militants are nonetheless making an attempt to encourage US followers to have interaction in assaults.
DHS mentioned it was selling “authoritative sources of data” as a way to “debunk” and if doable “pre-empt” disinformation.
DHS warned that media retailers linked to the Russian, Chinese language and Iranian governments had “repeatedly” amplified conspiracy theories in regards to the origins of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of vaccines.