(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. Last week, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki released a video calling for the killing of members of President Trump’s administration as revenge for the killing of civilians in Gaza. On June 13, AQAP also released an “Inspire Guide” praising Elias Rodriguez, who is charged with murdering two Israeli embassy employees and calling for further attacks.
On June 10, the pro-ISIS propaganda group Sarh al-Khilafah Foundation released a nasheed video also advocating for attacks on Jews and Israel as vengeance for civilian deaths in Gaza. On June 6, a German-language pro-ISIS online propaganda group warned its followers about groups or individuals impersonating them on Telegram, noting that they only used RocketChat, SimpleX, and Element. On June 9, a pro-ISIS tech group released a guide explaining Internet cookies.
Also on June 10, Rinaldo Nazzaro, the leader of the neo-Nazi accelerationist group The Base, appeared on an almost three-hour podcast hosted by a Bulgarian white supremacist, where Nazzaro defended the group, including their recent violent separatist operations in Ukraine, addressed accusations, and discussed his personal history. On June 9, a British white supremacist Telegram channel shared footage of anti-immigrant rioting from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and encouraged their followers to send additional content. Also, on Telegram, neo-Nazi and white supremacist channels celebrated protests and violence in Los Angeles and promoted anti-immigrant and antisemitic rhetoric. The administrator of a white supremacist channel also created a dedicated site on Telegram for sharing photos and videos from Los Angeles, as well as future events.
On June 12, Robert Rundo, the founder of the white supremacist Active Club movement, released his first podcast since being released from Federal custody, recorded in a gym belonging to a Florida Active Club chapter.
CEP researchers also located audio content glorifying white supremacist violence on Mega.Nz, which the file hosting service quickly removed after CEP reported it. On June 7, a neo-Nazi book publisher announced a monthly digital library subscription. CEP also reported the sale of a physical DVD of a notorious antisemitic video to eBay, who removed the listing but did not remove the web store.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Calls for Killing of U.S. Leaders
In an al-Malahem Media propaganda video released on June 7, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki called for the assassination of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Tesla CEO and former administration official Elon Musk and their families due to U.S. support for Israel and the killing of civilians in Gaza. Awlaki, in the approximately 34-minute video, noted that “reciprocity is legitimate” and called for attacks on Jews in Europe and the U.S., as well as the killing of leaders in Egypt, Jordan, and Arab Gulf states.
Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki in AQAP video released on June 7.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Releases Guide Praising Washington D.C. Gunman, Elias Rodriguez, and Calling for Attacks
On June 13, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released an “Inspire Guide” in Arabic and English that praised Elias Rodriguez, who is charged with murdering two Israeli embassy employees outside the Jewish National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21. The guide encouraged attacks on Jews and supporters of Israel in the U.S. and the West. The guide called the attack “an extraordinary event.” It stated that Israel was leveraging the attack in “its perpetual victimhood narrative . . . to justify increasing its security presence within the United States.” The manual also accused Western media of “stripping the event of its political and moral context” by calling it an antisemitic attack and not focusing on Rodriguez’s motives. The guide called the attack “a natural response to the cry of the oppressed after he [Rodriguez] heard Gaza’s anguish” and compared it to the silence of the international community. The guide chastised the American Muslim community for not committing similar acts of violence and having to be “taught” by a Christian.
New Pro-ISIS Nasheed Calls for Attacks on Jews and Israel
On June 10, the pro-ISIS propaganda group Sarh al-Khilafah Foundation released a nasheed that called for attacks on Jews and Israel. The video that accompanied the nasheed included footage from previously released ISIS propaganda videos, as well as surveillance videos from the March 22, 2022, attack on Israeli civilians by an ISIS supporter in Be'er Sheva and the March 27, 2022, attack by two ISIS supporters in Hadera, in which two Israeli police officers were killed.
On June 12, the same pro-ISIS group released an English-language version of the nasheed video. Both videos included a final message in Hebrew and either Arabic or English that promised future ISIS-inspired attacks against Israel as revenge for the killing of civilians in Gaza.
CEP researchers located the video on SimpleX, a pro-ISIS website, and Instagram. CEP reported two uploads of the video to Instagram on June 12. Instagram removed the videos within 24 hours. As of June 16, the two accounts that posted the videos, which were also reported, were still online despite posting pro-ISIS content, including a reupload of the nasheed video.
Sarh al-Khilafah Foundation nasheed video on Instagram. Screenshot taken on June 12.
German Language Pro-ISIS Group Warns Followers About Telegram Impersonators
On June 6, the German language pro-ISIS online propaganda group al-Saif Media warned their followers that intelligence agencies were allegedly impersonating them on Telegram. Al-Saif noted that they do not have a Telegram presence and only operate on RocketChat, SimpleX, and Element. The post warned online supporters to exercise caution and report Telegram imposters. An Italian-language pro-ISIS online propaganda group, Al-Rum Media, whose creation was announced on May 1, does use a Telegram contact.
Pro-ISIS Tech Group Posts Guide to Online Cookies
On June 9, the pro-ISIS tech group Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) published a guide on Internet cookies. The guide was posted on PasteThis.To in Arabic and English and spread via RocketChat. The post explained the different types of website cookies, including what types of websites use them and how they can be removed. The post emphasized the importance of being aware of cookie settings to protect one’s privacy.
New QEF logo. Screenshot taken on June 12.
Leader of The Base Defends Group, Addresses Accusations of Working for Russia
The leader of the neo-Nazi accelerationist group The Base, Rinaldo Nazzaro, defended his group, addressed accusations, and spoke about his personal history in an approximately two-hour and 45-minute podcast released on June 10. Nazzaro has previously appeared on the podcast twice, which is hosted by a Bulgarian white supremacist. Nazzaro noted that he is now in charge of recruitment and financial support for the group, acting as their public face; however, operational planning is allegedly conducted by local leaders on the ground.
Nazzaro claimed that he first moved to Russia with his wife in 2015 but returned to the U.S. after a year because they were unable to purchase property. He noted that they subsequently returned to Russia in 2017. He stated that before news media revealed his identity in 2020, he planned to periodically travel to the U.S. to train with cells of The Base before returning to St. Petersburg. He repeatedly claimed that he had moved to Russia for family reasons, stating that it was the best choice for both him and his growing family. He also denied having any connection to Russian intelligence agencies or security services. When asked why he did not create a chapter of The Base in Russia, Nazzaro pivoted, stating that Ukraine was closer to fragmenting into smaller entities, but noted that this could also occur in the U.S., remarking that he wanted to focus on creating a white ethnostate in the “ripest target at this moment in the world.” Later in the interview, he noted that if The Base was active in Russia, he would likely face legal consequences there, but also noted that he was against all governments, including the Russian government, because they were “all adversaries of the white race.”
Nazzaro acknowledged his 17 years in the U.S. intelligence community, including his positions as a civilian Pentagon employee, an FBI analyst working on al-Qaeda threats to the U.S., a Department of Homeland Security employee, and his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. He claimed that he first became interested in white nationalism while in Afghanistan, which is also when he stated he first became antisemitic and began rethinking World War II and the Holocaust before fully adopting national socialist ideology. Nazzaro also claimed that around 2016, he moved further to the right after realizing that the first Trump administration would not live up to his expectations, embracing the white supremacist separatism of the Northwest Front in 2016 and 2017.
He also addressed The Base’s chapter in Ukraine, claiming it was the only area where the group was conducting “kinetic operations.” Regarding the branch’s history, Nazzaro contended that he had initially been against the idea of a chapter of the group there and alleged that Ukrainians approached him about creating a cell in approximately December 2023, but that he had turned them down. Nazzaro claimed that he was approached by a different group in Ukraine later and that they had agreed on focusing on Zakarpattia Oblast due to its mountainous terrain, forests, proximity to other countries, and distance from the front line with Russia. When asked if The Base’s activities in Ukraine benefited Russia in their ongoing war, Nazzaro noted that it might be possible, “but it’s not my concern who benefits, the only ones I want to benefit is us [referring to The Base].”
Nazzaro also spoke against lone actor attacks that killed civilians as well as individual infrastructure attacks in the U.S., noting that neither would bring about the desirable goal of collapse. Instead, he stated that it was essential to join a group with clear goals, organizing, and training, noting, “If we’re going to fight back, it’s gotta be in a calculated manner. It’s gotta be smart. It can’t just be these performative acts like temper tantrums.” Despite Nazzaro’s claim, a Telegram channel connected to The Base posted footage from the March 15, 2019, Christchurch terrorist attack in February 2023, stating, “While we don’t advocate for targeting civilians from a strategic standpoint, we also will never counter signal it.”
The podcast concluded with Nazzaro stating that the objective of a white separatist territory would be to use it as a staging point for other areas, and encouraged joining the group.
Post from a Telegram channel associated with The Base, posted on February 22, 2023.
British White Supremacist Channel Shares Footage of Anti-Immigrant Violence
On June 9, a British white supremacist Telegram channel posted videos and photos of rioting from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, after two Romanian immigrant teenage boys were arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl. In a second round of posts on June 9, the channel noted with approval that there was a “pogrom” against Roma people as “revenge” and that mobs were burning the homes of migrants and beating people. Additional posts on June 10 and 11 consisted of videos from the riots.
The channel advertises that people can send content to be posted through a Telegram bot, offering to amplify their messages. The Telegram channel also has an X account that posts new links to the Telegram channel. On May 19, the same channel shared videos allegedly from Airdrie, Scotland, that advocated violence against Muslims and South Asians.
Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist Telegram Channels Celebrate Los Angeles Riots, Spread Anti-Immigrant and Antisemitic Rhetoric
During the week of June 8 to 14, multiple white supremacist and neo-Nazi Telegram channels celebrated the ongoing protests and riots in Los Angeles in response to raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Channels spread anti-immigrant and antisemitic content and cheered violence against journalists. On June 7, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel with over 2,400 subscribers allegedly operated by an Iraq War veteran stated that their audience did not hate non-white immigrants enough and that it was “them or us.” Invoking great replacement rhetoric, a notorious Telegram channel with over 11,000 subscribers that supports Patriot Front and the Active Club movement posted on June 9 that Jews were responsible for bringing “a hostile invading army” into the U.S. who were now “rioting” and lamented that Jews who “caused the problem” would not be harmed. A main neo-Nazi accelerationist channel connected to former members of the Atomwaffen Division and successor organizations stated their hope on June 8 that violence in Los Angeles would get worse so that “whites can’t sit on the sidelines anymore” and would face a choice of “joining us or being killed by the mud [used as a racial slur] mob.”
Other channels expressed pleasure at seeing Latino protesters and journalists being harmed by law enforcement officers, blamed “Jewish NGOs” for allegedly fomenting chaos, and expressed hope for future violence and mass deportations.
A Telegram channel was created on June 8 to share videos and photos of protests, violence, and the state and federal response in Los Angeles, as well as similar future events. The channel is linked to a neo-Nazi meme channel that has over 3,000 subscribers and promotes a defunct white supremacist imageboard that the May 2022 Buffalo attacker allegedly frequented. In the channel bio, the administrator encouraged others to share or repost content on other channels for maximum reach. The channel, created on June 8, had over 550 subscribers after being online for just five days.
Robert Rundo Launches Podcast from Florida Active Club Gym
On June 12, Robert Rundo, the founder of the white supremacist Active Club movement, released a video on the Odysee platform. The podcast was recorded in the private gym of a Florida Active Club chapter. Rundo noted it was his first video in several years, stating that it would be the first in a series. He thanked those who wrote him letters while he was in prison, sent him money, and posted graffiti and stickers around the world, calling for his release. Rundo specifically thanked Active Clubs in Colombia, France, and the Balkans.
Rundo praised his prior organization, the Rise Above Movement (RAM), noting that every project he has worked on has been an attempt at what a younger version of himself would have found “cool and attractive.” Rundo blamed two journalists for being responsible for RAM being portrayed as a violent organization and noted the importance of the Active Club-affiliated propaganda group for creating media.
Rundo praised the yearly Frontier competition hosted by the Southern California Active Club chapter and spoke of the need to create a white supremacist counterculture, commending the spread of the Active Club movement.
Robert Rundo in Odysee video, posted on June 12 (left) and a screenshot from the February 11 Florida Active Club video announcing the founding of their private gym (right).
Audio Content Glorifying White Supremacist Mass Shooters Removed from Mega.Nz
CEP researchers located over 11 gigabytes of content on Mega.Nz consisting of mostly musical audio files that promoted acts of white supremacist violence and glorified individuals who have committed mass shootings and acts of terrorism. Content also promoted antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiment, and anti-LGBTQ sentiment. The music features a computer-generated voice and is inspired by the former McDonald’s advertising mascot, Mac Tonight. Among the albums uploaded to Mega.Nz was an album specifically celebrating the March 15, 2019, Christchurch attack, which glorified the attacker and encouraged additional acts of violence. Mega.Nz quickly removed the content after CEP reported it.
Neo-Nazi Publisher Starts Digital Library Monthly Subscription
On June 7, a neo-Nazi book publisher launched a monthly digital library subscription service to obtain access to their collection. Priced at $16 per month, the publisher announced on Telegram that subscribers would gain access to its current catalog of 25 books, future translations, early access to the publisher’s material, and support for mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Books include the notorious antisemitic texts The International Jew and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as well as The Hitler Youth Handbook, and books from Nazi Germany on the Third Reich’s racial and economic policies.
The publisher noted that they had translated several books themselves from German and that each purchase or subscription directly funded their “mission.” Subscriptions on the publisher’s website accept major credit cards, direct bank transfers, and CashApp.
Antisemitic DVD Removed From eBay
On June 11, CEP researchers located an eBay store selling a DVD of a ten-part antisemitic video that glorifies the crimes of Nazi Germany, blames Jews for both world wars, and denies the Holocaust. The video was ranked as the number one propaganda video for introducing people to antisemitism by an influential white supremacist X account in January 2024, where the video received 64% of 1,199 votes.
CEP reported the listing to eBay for violating their policy against selling material that may “promote, perpetuate or glorify hatred, violence, or discrimination” based on religion and other characteristics. EBay removed the video listing but did not remove the web shop that sold it, which was also reported.