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@ctecmiis.bsky.social
2.8K followers 27 following 144 posts

Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Find us here: www.middlebury.edu/institute/academ…

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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In @theconversation.com CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social argues that a US AI Force would invite a Chinese counterpart and speed up AI weaponization. He draws on CTEC's 2019 work with OpenAI on how terrorists could misuse LLMs. theconversation.com/trump-wants-... #AI #China
theconversation.com
Trump wants an AI Force like Space Force, but that could make AI’s risks harder to manage
An AI Force would likely push China to create its own. That arms race could turn a technology already slipping out of human control into a weapon.
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Jason Blazakis @jason-blazakis.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Very excited to join the @rusi.bsky.social and its Centre For Finance and Security team as an Associate Fellow. I’ve had the chance to collaborate with RUSI on several occasions, and I’m especially looking forward to working more closely with the CFS team. www.rusi.org/people/blaza...
rusi.org
Jason Blazakis
Royal United Services Institute
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Congrats to Dylan Miars, CTEC's Fall 2026 Michael Donnelly Research Fellow!! His research asks how quantum computing changes the calculus for non-state actors pursuing advanced weapons capabilities. Learn more about Dylan and the Donnelly Fellowship: www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Can terrorist financing ever be stopped? CTEC's @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joined Tom Keatinge on @rusi.bsky.social Suspicious Transaction Report #podcast. 🎧 www.rusi.org/podcasts/sus...
rusi.org
Episode 23: Can Terrorist Financing Ever Be Stopped?
Why disruption, intelligence and genuine public–private partnership matter more than promises to eliminate every terrorist dollar.
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Jason Blazakis @jason-blazakis.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I'm in today's @washingtonpost.com on Rubio's #antifa push. I ran State's designation process for a decade+. A group must be foreign to be designated. Antifa's domestic presence puts it out of reach. Counterterrorism authority should track threats, not politics www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
Rubio tries to enlist other nations in antifa fight, but some allies recoil
The secretary of state plans to convene foreign ministers in Washington next week. The event has unsettled some U.S. and European officials.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social in today's @washingtonpost.com: #antifa cannot be designated a foreign terrorist organization. US law requires a group be foreign, and a significant domestic presence disqualifies it. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
Rubio tries to enlist other nations in antifa fight, but some allies recoil
The secretary of state plans to convene foreign ministers in Washington next week. The event has unsettled some U.S. and European officials.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
CTEC's @jason-blazakis.bsky.social is quoted in @inkstickmedia.com on the Prairieland "Antifa cell" case out of Fort Worth. He warns of the chilling effect on speech. inkstickmedia.com/antifa-trial...
inkstickmedia.com
'Antifa Trial' in Texas Heightens Fears of Free Speech Chill in US
Will the outcome of a controversial trial against protesters accused of being Antifa lead to a chill on free speech in the US?
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Jason Blazakis @jason-blazakis.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
I have a piece in @wsj.com today on emerging threat: movements that worship Artificial Intelligence (#AI). www.wsj.com/opinion/chat...
wsj.com
Opinion | Chatbots May Need a Cult Deprogrammer
Some users mistake AI for a god, while the violent Zizians believe it is the devil.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
AI is no longer just a tool to these movements. It is a god, a prophet, or a coming revelation. CTEC Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social Blazakis maps the rise of AI-deity extremism. Read more @wsj.com : www.wsj.com/opinion/chat...
wsj.com
Opinion | Chatbots May Need a Cult Deprogrammer
Some users mistake AI for a god, while the violent Zizians believe it is the devil.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
In the Frisco mayoral runoff, one candidate has declared Muslim residents unwelcome. CTEC Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social told @keranews.org News that divisive rhetoric from higher offices emboldens local officials to do the same. www.keranews.org/news/2026-06...
keranews.org
Comments about Muslim community a factor in Frisco mayoral runoff
Early voting in the Frisco mayor runoff between Mark Hill and Rod Vilhauer starts Monday. Vilhauer's anti-Muslim statements have generated controversy during the race.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
In a @justsecurity.org piece, CTEC Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social Blazakis argues #Cuba shouldn't be on the terrorism list & Rubio's "leading sponsor" of terror framing is rhetorical scaffolding for possible force, same playbook as #Iran and #Venezuela. www.justsecurity.org/140246/trump...
justsecurity.org
Trump Administration Labels Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism
Cuba’s inclusion on the SST list reflects shifting U.S. policy, not evidence, highlighting how the designation is used for political aims.
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Jason Blazakis @jason-blazakis.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
As always, appreciate the chance to write for @justsecurity.org. Check out my latest piece on #Cuba - BLUF - invading Cuba using the pretext of counterterrorism, as #Trump Admin has been pointing to, is the wrong approach. www.justsecurity.org/140246/trump...
justsecurity.org
Trump Administration Labels Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism
Cuba’s inclusion on the SST list reflects shifting U.S. policy, not evidence, highlighting how the designation is used for political aims.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Yesterday, CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social shared his thoughts on recent Trump Admin policies in the area of illicit finance. Check it out: www.hstoday.us/subject-matt...
hstoday.us
PERSPECTIVE: A Quarter Century of Counterterrorism Finance, Unwound in a Year - HSToday
Counterterrorism financing was never glamorous work.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social is at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social on June 8 at 6pm BST for a book talk on Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism. Open to the public. www.kcl.ac.uk/events/book-...
kcl.ac.uk
Book Talk: Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism with Prof Jason M. Blazakis | King's College London
Terrorism and organised violence are crucially reliant on adequate sources of funding
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
CTEC Executive Director, @jason-blazakis.bsky.social, joined Kieran Beer on ACAMS's Financial Crime Matters podcast at #ACAMSAssembly for a wide-ranging conversation on the threat landscape facing the U.S. — Iran, ISIS, AQ, and more. soundcloud.com/financialcri...
soundcloud.com
Disrupting Terror Finance, with the Middlebury Institute's Jason Blazakis
In this episode of “Financial Crime Matters,” Kieran talks with Jason Blazakis about his book,
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
CTEC's @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joins Middlebury's New Frontiers podcast to discuss who ends up on US terrorist lists, what designation actually means for those listed, and why recent procedural shifts under the Trump admin raise serious risk-of-abuse concerns. www.middlebury.edu/rohatyn/new-...
middlebury.edu
S4 EP5 - US Terrorist Lists: Who Decides and Why It Matters | Middlebury
In this episode, Mark Williams speaks with counter-terrorist expert Jason Blazakis, founding director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism about how individuals or groups can wi...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Recently, CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social spoke to the Monterey community at MIIS on the topic of "Branding the Enemy," drawing from Chapter 6 of his new book Terror Disrupted (Cambridge, 2026).
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
New CTEC paper from grad researcher Satyajit Lall on the financial architecture that has kept Lashkar-e-Tayyiba alive for nearly 40 years—through sanctions, FATF scrutiny, and shifting geopolitics. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social is now part of the GTSC Homeland Security Today Counterterrorism Editorial Board
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
CTEC publication: "How Hamas Monetized the Gaza War" argues that counter-terrorist financing doctrine overlooks narrative production as a targetable node in the raise phase. The paper traces how Hamas converted conflict imagery into financial capital. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
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Jason Blazakis @jason-blazakis.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
A new paper I have published through @ctecmiis.bsky.social examines the full U.S. designation record against #Hamas linked charities (2003 to 2026) and proposes two structures to break the cycle of episodic enforcement. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac... #sanctions #terrorism #Iran
middlebury.edu
The Charities of Hamas – Designations History and Policy Recommendations
It has now been more than two years since Hamas’s deadly attack in Israel. As someone who worked for more than a decade in the United States Government (USG) as head of the State Department’s Countert...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
New from CTEC: Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social examines two decades of U.S. sanctions against Hamas-linked charities. The record reveals bursts of sanctions followed by long silences in which Hamas rebuilt Read the paper: www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac... #Hamas #Iran #Terrorism
middlebury.edu
The Charities of Hamas – Designations History and Policy Recommendations
It has now been more than two years since Hamas’s deadly attack in Israel. As someone who worked for more than a decade in the United States Government (USG) as head of the State Department’s Countert...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
CTEC Exec Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joined @npr.org on the Texas “#antifa” case tied to the July 4 protest outside the Prairieland ICE facility near Alvarado. Takeaway: serious incident, but the “antifa cell” framing is a stretch. Listen in: www.npr.org/transcripts/...
npr.org
Rev. Jesse Jackson has died. And, U.S. and Iran set for high-stakes nuclear talks
Longtime civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson dies at age 84. And, the U.S. and Iran are set for high-stakes negotiations today in Geneva about Iran's nuclear program.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
CTEC shoutout: @npr.org / @oyousef.bsky.social referenced J.M. Berger’s “lawful extremism” work—how extremist-coded rhetoric can migrate into state messaging with plausible deniability. www.npr.org/2026/02/16/n...
npr.org
Extremist rhetoric is often found in government messaging. Who's the target?
In a rare move, the White House recently took down a racist post from one of President Trump's social media accounts. Extremism researchers say it fits a pattern of mainstreaming extremist ideas.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Thrilled to announce Noor Almusahwi as our next Michael Donnelly Fellow (Spring 2026). Noor brings deep experience on human rights and digital security—paired with rigorous research on terrorism, political violence, and rule of law. Congrats, Noor! www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
New @rusi.bsky.social research briefing by CTEC’s @jason-blazakis.bsky.social on #LLM enabled #terrorist #financing: risks, real-world pathways, and practical mitigations. www.projectcraaft.eu/research-bri...
projectcraaft.eu
Terrorist Financing in the Age of Large Language Models — Project CRAAFT
The research briefing by Jason Blazakis examines how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) could be exploited to support terrorist financing activity. The report ar...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Recently, CTEC Exec Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social published w/ @universitypress.cambridge.org Terror Disrupted. A book that examines how terrorist financing is countered. www.cambridge.org/core/books/t...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
In a recent NYSun piece on Mahmood Habibi, CTEC Exec Director Jason Blazakis explains why public pressure can matter more with a de facto government like the Taliban than with ISIS—and outlines U.S. leverage: frozen assets, recognition, and UN sanctions, incl. Qatar as a key intermediary.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
CTEC just released a new report, Seeds of Extremism, by Isabela Bernardo. It examines how ecofascist ideas can intersect with accelerationist culture—and what that means for prevention and policy. Thanks to the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative for support. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
middlebury.edu
Seeds of Extremism: Ecofascism and Militant Accelerationism in a Warming World
As Executive Director of Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism (CTEC), I’m pleased to share Seeds of Extremism: Ecofascism and Militant Accelerationism in a Warming World—a timely, rigo...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
CTEC Senior Research Fellow Tammy Palacios joined Sham TV regarding recent attacks in Australia and at Brown U. She explained that recent attacks aren't coordinated—they're symptoms of de-prioritized counterterrorism. We need renewed focus on P/CVE. www.youtube.com/watch?v=He_N...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Late last week, CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social chatted with @ms.now about the recent attack in Washington DC. He explained that it was way too early to call it an act of terrorism and that reflexive policy responses by the Trump Administration would be unhelpful.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
BLUF: The Trump admin will add 4 European “violent Antifa” groups US FTO list on 20 November. CTEC Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social notes, for @washingtonpost.com, the groups “don’t have one fatality associated with their activity.” www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
Trump recasts foreign terror list to focus on ‘Antifa,’ cartels
The administration is making an unprecedented expansion, designating entities in Europe and Latin America not typically a focus of U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
CTEC Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joined @npr.org Texas outlet, KERA News, to discuss the federal prosecution of the Prairieland ICE shooting and what it means for future “Antifa” terrorism cases. 🔗 www.keranews.org/criminal-jus...
keranews.org
How will Trump’s DOJ prosecute ‘antifa?’ The Prairieland ICE shooting trial could be the playbook
“Antifa” is now at the center of the Justice Department's case against two people charged for their alleged roles in a North Texas ICE detention center shooting. How it plays out in court could be ind...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
New from CTEC, our Director, @jason-blazakis.bsky.social , is featured on NPR discussing the controversial topic of whether #antifa should be designated as a terrorist organization. His expertise adds critical context to this evolving discussion. Listen to the segment: www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...
npr.org
As Trump talks of designating antifa a foreign terrorist group, experts see danger
The designation would have, as one domestic terrorism expert told NPR, a "cascading effect across civil society, including social media organizations, civic organizations and everything in between."
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
CTEC Executive Director and Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Prof. @jason-blazakis.bsky.social recently chatted with @inkstickmedia.com about Trump's recent executive action against domestic terrorism. Check out the full article at: inkstickmedia.com/trumps-terro...
inkstickmedia.com
Trump's 'Terrorism' Narrative Puts Dissent in the Crosshairs
Donald Trump's administration is accusing its opponents of supporting terrorism, but cities around the US are fighting back.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
CTEC Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joined @ajepodcasts.bsky.social The Take to discuss the recent #Trump Admin focus on #Antifa. You can find the discussion at: YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DYE... Apple pods: podcasts.apple.com/.../why-is...... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/5RRk...
youtube.com
Why is Trump targeting antifa under terrorism laws? | The Take
YouTube video by Al Jazeera English
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Recently, CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social wrote for the @latimes.com an op-ed that points to the dangers of Trump's recent "domestic terrorism" order- it is more about politics than it is about national security. www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Recently, CTEC Exec Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social spoke with @keranews.org @npr.org about the recent attack against an ICE facility in Texas. TLDR of it is this, pinning the attack on ideology misses the mark: www.keranews.org/news/2025-10...
keranews.org
Dallas ICE shooting: Politics and ideology — or notoriety and fame?
Shooting at Dallas ICE field office that killed detainees follows pattern for political assassins whose motives are less about ideology and more about notoriety.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Recently, Exec Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joined the @bunkerpod.bsky.social to discuss Trump's crackdown on progressives under the guise of counter-terrorism. Listen in:
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Reposted by CTEC
Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 02/10/2025
OPINION: "The president’s new executive order, frankly, does very little new to combat anarchist-motivated violence." — Jason Blazakis
inquirer.com
There are many things wrong with Trump calling antifa a terror group. Here are a few of them. | Opinion
Antifa does not meet an important legal criterion for terrorist designation, namely, it's more a way of thinking than it is an organized group.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
🚨 New Op-Ed in the @inquirer.com Inquirer 🚨by CTEC Exec. Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social . Trump’s new order labeling #Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization” isn’t about public safety — it’s about political power. Read Here: www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
inquirer.com
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Recently, @jmberger.com, a senior research fellow at CTEC, spoke w/ the @newrepublic.com about the rise of nihilistic violent extremism (NVE). Check out the article and the implications of the FBI's use of NVE to shape its investigations: newrepublic.com/article/2008...
newrepublic.com
The Right​’s Baseless​ Project to ​Link Trans People​ With Extremism
A campaign for the FBI to adopt a new designation of “transgender ideology–inspired violence and extremism” is less about law enforcement than politics.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Recently, CTEC Senior Research Fellow @jmberger.com spoke with @washingtonpost.com about online radicalization and meme culture in the wake of multiple acts of violent extremist violence in the United States. Check out the full article at: www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
The internet culture behind the Kirk shooting suspect’s ‘big meme’
The Charlie Kirk shooter’s engravings have been mined for clues of a motive. For those steeped in meme culture, they show only that he was “terminally online.”
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
President #Trump recently said he will designate #Antifa as a terrorist group. @npr.org ran a great article on this topic with words from our Executive Director, @jason-blazakis.bsky.social , on why this is not an easy task. Read why: www.npr.org/2025/09/19/n...
npr.org
Can Trump label antifa a 'domestic terror group'? Legally, there's no such thing
Current law provides for the designation of some groups as "foreign terrorist organizations," but no similar process exists for domestic groups.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
We are thrilled to announce that Olivia Kilborn is CTEC’s Michael Donnelly Fellow for Fall 2025. She’ll study the rhetoric connecting eco-fascist subcultures and far-right European parties—work with real implications for counter-extremism practice. Read more: www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
middlebury.edu
The Michael Donnelly CTEC Research Fellowship
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
CTEC Exec Director, @jason-blazakis.bsky.social, joined @npr.org on All Things Considered to reflect on the 24th Anniversary of #9/11 and how the counterterrorism mission of the USG has evolved. He joined @colinpclarke.bsky.social & @oyousef.bsky.social www.npr.org/2025/09/11/n...
npr.org
What counterterrorism looks like in the U.S. 24 years after 9/11
The Sept. 11 attacks of 24 years ago led to unprecedented investment in counterterrorism resources. Today, the terrorism landscape is more complex than ever, and some say the country is less prepared.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
New CTEC publication: "Hermetic Hatred" demonstrates how antisemitism survives by adapting its narrative architecture—from theology to politics to today’s platforms. Maps key tropes, transmission routes, and practical takeaways for policy & T&S. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
middlebury.edu
Hermetic Hatred: How Antisemitism's Architectural Framework Survives Theology, Politics, and Progress
This article examines antisemitism not as sporadic prejudice, but as a sophisticated ideological architecture that has preserved its structural integrity across nearly two millennia while adapting its...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
New from CTEC: Binary Breeding Grounds: How the Manosphere Manufactures Modern Antisemitism. A review on how misogynist online ecosystems braid antisemitic frames via recommender systems & influencer escalation—and what platforms, researchers, and educators can do. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
middlebury.edu
Binary Breeding Grounds: How the Manosphere Manufactures Modern Antisemitism
This study examines how the manosphere has become a digital breeding ground for modern antisemitism, systematically integrating conspiracy theories with masculine grievance narratives. Through analysi...
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
CTEC's founding Executive Director, @jason-blazakis.bsky.social, has a forthcoming book coming out that examines counterterrorist financing. Terror Disrupted, published by@universitypress.cambridge.org, will hit bookshelves and online market places in early 2026.
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CTEC @ctecmiis.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
New from CTEC: Paula Granger’s “Crowdsourced Political Violence.” Online spaces lower barriers to mobilization—fostering leaderless resistance. Literature review with practical takeaways for researchers, platforms and policymakers: methods, gaps, next steps. Read: www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
middlebury.edu
Crowdsourced Political Violence: A Literature Review on How the Internet Embodies Leaderless Resistance and Empowers Lone Actors
One of the most significant challenges and changes in political violence in modern times is not necessarily ideological but structural. The DHS and FBI identify lone offenders and small groups—particu...
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