Growing Russian and Chinese influence could spark extremism, US task force says

As US focuses on preventing attacks at home and targeting militants abroad, extremist ideas are taking root in vulnerable countries amid a global power shift

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A new report from the US Peace Institute highlights President Trump’s approach to foreign affairs, which often seems out of kilter with his own administration’s official National Security Strategy. Photo: AP

Published: 3:03pm, 11 Sep 2018Updated: 4:56pm, 13 Sep 2018

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nahal Toosi on politico.com on September 11, 2018.

Russia’s and China’s expanding economic and military reach could foster extremism in developing nations, and the United States must engage the rest of the world in trying to prevent that threat from materialising, a task force spearheaded by the leaders of the September 11 Commission argues in a new report .

The report, released on Tuesday, the 17^th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, comes as President Donald Trump has pursued overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin and other autocrats, tried to slash foreign aid spending and broken with America’s traditional democratic allies to an unusual degree.

The report’s authors – led by former Governor Tom Kean of New Jersey, a Republican who chaired the September 11 Commission, and former Representative Lee Hamilton, the commission’s vice-chairman – do not criticise Trump and avoid any hints at partisanship. Still, many of their conclusions seem at odds with Trumps personal approach to foreign policy.

Since 2001, the US has focused extensively on preventing attacks on American soil and targeting militants abroad, but it must do more to prevent extremist ideas from taking root in the first place in vulnerable countries, the report argues.

“The time has come for a new US strategy,” the report states. “Going forward, the priority for US policy should be to strengthen fragile states – to help them build resilience against the alarming growth of violent extremism within their own societies.”

Growing Russian and Chinese influence could spark extremism, US task force says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As US focuses on preventing attacks at home and targeting militants abroad, extremist ideas are taking root in vulnerable countries amid a global power shift

As US focuses on preventing attacks at home and targeting militants abroad, extremist ideas are taking root in vulnerable countries amid a global power shift