(AFP) – The United States is hosting an international ministerial meeting Thursday aimed at globalizing the fight against left-wing terrorism, which the Trump administration claims is on the rise. More than 60 delegations from Europe to Asia are expected to attend the event, titled “Resurgence of Political Terrorism” and chaired by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Far-left political terrorism is a real and transnational threat that has existed for decades but is now experiencing a resurgence,” Rubio was to say in opening remarks Thursday, according to a senior State Department official. Rubio sought to characterize left-wing terrorism as a result of “a unique evil rooted in a deep resentment towards civilization” that “metastasizes into different ideological formulations,” according to his prepared remarks. “It is a revolt against civilization and those building or sustaining it.”
However, data from a comprehensive 2025 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows that while there has been a slight uptick in attacks from the left in the United States, there have been far more terrorist attacks by the right going back to 1994. “In recent years, the United States has seen an increase in the number of left-wing terrorism attacks and plots, although such violence has risen from very low levels and remains much lower than historical levels of violence carried out by right-wing and jihadist attackers,” it said. For example, in 2020 there were 30 terror attacks or plots in the United States committed by the right compared to eight by the left and three by jihadist groups, the report showed.
– Europe is ‘incubator’ –
Still, US officials say the issue of left-wing political terrorism “has not really been addressed collectively in an effective way” given its transnational nature, according to a senior State Department official. In its recent “United States Counterterrorism Strategy,” the administration of President Donald Trump targeted Europe, calling it an “incubator of terrorist threats.”
Officials point to the sabotage of the French rail network on the opening day of the 2024 Olympic Games — a traditional tactic of the far left, according to authorities — and the killing of French nationalist activist Quentin Deranque in February attributed to members of an anti-fascist movement. They also cite an attack earlier this month against several members of the conservative New Democracy party in Greece that left one dead and four injured.
The report breaks down terrorist threats against the United States into three categories: “narco-terrorists and international gangs,” “historical Islamist terrorists,” and “violent left-wing extremists, including anarchists and anti-fascists.” That marks a break with the administration of president Joe Biden, which had designated far-right groups, particularly white supremacist groups, as major threats.
The “antifa” movement — short for “antifascist” — has become a particular target of the Trump administration, which designated it a “domestic terrorist organization” last year after the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. However, experts say “antifa” is a nebulous movement of left-wing activists that is more of a political ideology than an organized group. Abroad, Washington has sanctioned groups in Europe, including “Antifa Ost,” based in Germany, as well as three other anarchist groups in Italy and Greece.
– Léon BRUNEAU
© 2024 AFP
