Climate change is fueling extremism, raising tempers along with temperatures in the US and the Muslim world
The Middle East and Africa have long been troubled by conflict. The US and Britain have struggled to control Middle Eastern militants and prevent Islamist groups from spreading across the globe. Recent turmoil in North Africa has highlighted the importance of an effective response to extremism.
But as President Donald Trump prepares his presidency for the first 100 days, one question remains: Are the US and British governments equipped to deal with the security threats they will face when facing the Muslim world, which will be a focus of Trump’s presidency?
The US and UK have long struggled to find a workable solution to an issue that should not be underestimated: Islamic extremism.
For years, British Prime Minister Theresa May has focused on how extremists can be countered by countering extremism. She has called for an alliance between the UK and the US: ”The United Kingdom should stand with the United States around the world in its fight against terror. Together we will defeat the terrorist threat to our people.”
But that will be easier said than done. The US, which is home to the largest Muslim population in the world, has also struggled to find a workable solution.
The FBI’s Countering Violent Extremism is a key element of its strategy but there is so far a lack of understanding of how best to achieve its desired effect
In 2016, the FBI released the Countering Violent Extremism Program, which aims to “improve the efficacy of its counterterrorism programs” and create synergy between domestic law enforcement, the government, and the private sector. The purpose is to “counter violent extremism” and “combat homegrown violent extremism”. The US FBI defines “CVE” as “those groups that use terrorism to make a political point,” a label used by the CIA, who describes extremism as “the use of violence to incite fear in a population and to gain power and/or influence…[or] to change laws, change social attitudes, change public administration, and/or to impose a religious test or belief system.”
In an effort to bring about security for all in the United States, the FBI wants to develop a “national