White House Anti-Extremism Summit to Kick Off Tuesday Despite Weather Closures
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Pete Souza / The White House(WASHINGTON) — The harsh winter weather may have shut down government offices Tuesday, but that won’t stop national security officials from discussing strategies for combating violent extremism in the U.S. The White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism aimed at building and amplifying a counter-message to extremist groups kicks off Tuesday and will proceed despite the federal office closures due to weather.
The summit’s first focus is on domestic strategies to reach out to young, disenfranchised Americans who could be susceptible to recruitment. The three-day event will highlight the model cities of Minneapolis, Boston and Los Angeles, which have what authorities see as effective pilot programs launched last year by the Justice Department and Homeland Security. Participants in the summit will also discuss how communities can better use social media to push an alternative message online.
The summit, which was scheduled last fall, is drawing criticism for having too broad a focus, with no specific mention of “Islamic” extremism or ISIS, and for what some see as an approach that is too academic to an urgent problem.
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