WASHINGTON: A research paper on domestic terrorism detailing far-right extremist violence in the United States has been removed from the Justice Department’s website.
The National Institute of Justice research summary concluded that far-right extremists have committed more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists since 1990.
This finding contradicts comments made by top Trump administration officials about the threat of left-wing extremism following last week’s assassination of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment on why the paper was taken down following the deadly September 10 shooting in Utah.
Archived versions from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine show the article was accessible on September 11 but unavailable the following afternoon.
One of the cited authors declined to comment on the removal when reached by AFP.
Other studies detailing the threat of far-right extremism remain available on the department’s website.
The White House said Monday it would pursue an alleged left-wing domestic terror movement following Kirk’s killing.
This announcement prompted alarm that such a campaign could be used to silence political dissent.
While federal law enforcement includes combating domestic terrorism under its purview, the United States does not maintain a list of designated domestic terrorist organizations. – AFP