U.S.-Backed #CVESymposium Exposes Farce of 'Countering Violent Extremism' Programs

Patrick Poole | 3:25 PM on April 06, 2016

A symposium backed by the Obama administration and the UN on “countering violent extremism” (CVE), being held today at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., inadvertently exposes the farce of the administration’s CVE policies.

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Multiple reports in recent weeks have documented how local CVE programs — launched by the administration in February 2015 at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism — in Boston, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis are failing miserably. The programs are now openly opposed by the very same groups targeted by CVE programs and that demanded them in the first place.

A look at today’s “CVE Symposium” exposes why those efforts are failing. One of the keynote speakers today was DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson:

Johnson’s remarks make clear that the administration’s CVE programs are not unfairly targeting the Muslim community. He also identified the real culprit spreading violent extremism — GOP presidential candidates:

Johnson acknowledged that the government’s CVE efforts have focused on Muslim communities, but he pushed back against the idea that it zeroes in on the Islamic faith.

“Many people ask me, ‘Are you targeting Muslims? Why are you targeting Muslims?’” he said. “We’re not targeting a religion or even a specific group. We have a generic mission.”

But, he said, CVE efforts have focused on American Muslim communities because the Islamic State, which he called “probably the most dangerous terrorist organization that we face right now,” is targeting American Muslims.

“So we must respond in counter to that effort, as a matter of homeland security,” Johnson said.

The secretary also pushed back against “overheated rhetoric” on the Republican presidential campaign trail about banning Muslims from entering the United States or increasing police patrols and surveillance in Muslim communities.

“There is no one American Muslim community, contrary to some of the political dialogue you may hear,” he said. “There is not one neighborhood or ghetto or city that one could encircle or surveil.”

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Also addressing the CVE symposium was UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon. He promised to take action on CVE:

A concurrent CVE event was being held in Geneva:

Back at the symposium in D.C., nothing says “countering violent extremism” like a lecture from the Saudi (!) ambassador,  who swore there is no such thing as Wahhabism:


Some of the helpful insights from the CVE Symposium speakers came from a panel that declared U.S. laws banning terrorist organizations hinder CVE efforts:

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Former White House director for community engagement George Selim, now at DHS, let slip how much a farce “countering violent extremism” really is by admitting CVE was just a term used by the D.C. “smart set” inside the Beltway:

No D.C. “smart set” event would be complete without the “my politically correct grievance-mongering is more equal than yours” back-and-forth:

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The “experts” knew exactly who CVE needs to target — right wingers:

Also, the “extremist violence of western foreign policy,” courtesy of this George Washington University prof:

The Obama administration’s CVE efforts began in spring 2010 when the DHS CVE Working Group published their recommendation. Among those participating in the DHS task force were Obama Muslim outreach allies Dalia Mogahed, Mohamed Magid, and Mohamed Elibiary.

But the CVE efforts began in earnest in 2012, when U.S. Muslim groups demanded a “purge” of counter-terrorism trainers and curriculum. The White House quickly responded with a widespread “purge” across all federal agencies.

So it is remarkable that the loudest voices condemning the Obama administration’s CVE programs, including the Soros-funded Article 19 and Charity and Security Network, are the same Muslim groups, academics, and far Left activists who demanded it in the first place:

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Just yesterday, Muslim activists in Minneapolis — one of three cities where the White House launched local CVE programs — held a press conference to denounce the Obama administration’s CVE efforts:

Another city with serious radicalization problems, Boston — also hosting a local White House CVE program — is facing a pushback by Muslim organizations:

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It’s no surprise then that these Obama administration CVE programs are so far an abysmal failure:

How big a failure are the Obama CVE programs? Their supporters now have to resort to the “even if they don’t work, they’re still helpful” excuse:

Finally, the organizers of today’s CVE symposium had the perfect prescription for event participants to handle the farce that Obama’s highly touted CVE programs have predictably become — happy hour:

And of course, a plea for the snake oil that cures all D.C. CVE “smart set” ills — more government money:

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Patrick Poole
For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]

Patrick Poole is a national security and terrorism correspondent for PJMedia. Follow him on Twitter.
Category: HOMELAND SECURITY
Tags: HOMELAND SECURITY

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