New National Terrorism Bulletin Warns of Lingering Violence

Alert warns of potential for politically motivated violence in wake of Biden inauguration
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 27, 2021 1:10 PM CST
Feds Issue First National Terrorism Bulletin in a Year
In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington.   (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

The Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism bulletin Wednesday warning of the potential for lingering violence from people motivated by anti-government sentiment after President Biden's election. The department did not cite a specific threat, but pointed to "a heightened threat environment across the United States" that it believes "will persist" since Biden took office on Jan. 20. "Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,'' the bulletin said. It did not mention any ideological or political affiliation, reports the AP.

It is not uncommon for the federal government to warn local law enforcement through bulletins and advisories about the prospect for violence tied to a particular date or event, such as July 4. But this particular bulletin, issued through the the department's National Terrorism Advisory System, is notable because it effectively places the Biden administration into the politically charged debate over how to describe or characterize acts motivated by political ideology and suggests that it sees violence aimed at overturning the election as akin to terrorism. ABC News reports the DHS National Terrorist Advisory System last sent out a bulletin a year ago, when it warned of the possibility of retaliation by Iran for the US assassination of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.

(More Department of Homeland Security stories.)

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