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U.S. officials at State Department ministerial warn of rising far-left political terrorism
Summary
At a State Department ministerial, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior administration officials said far-left political terrorism is resurging globally, cited recent violent incidents, and pointed to policy steps including NSPM 7 and terrorist designations to coordinate international responses.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned at a State Department ministerial that far-left political terrorism is resurging internationally and urged partners to cooperate to dismantle transnational networks.
"We have no choice but to confront this menace together," Rubio said, telling attendees from more than 60 countries that recent incidents — including a Greek firebombing that killed a 72‑year‑old woman and a Berlin blackout tied to sabotage — demonstrate the threat is growing. He credited two decades of counterterrorism work for reducing jihadist attacks but said Western doctrine has had "a blind spot" for extremist violence from the political left.
Rubio said the Trump administration has taken steps to address the threat: President Trump signed National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM 7), the State Department designated four violent far‑left groups as foreign terrorist organizations, and the U.S. announced Rewards for Justice incentives of up to $10,000,000 for information that disrupts financing for those networks.
Stephen Miller, introduced as a deputy chief of staff and senior homeland‑security adviser, told the conference NSPM 7 directs U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to "disrupt, defund, debunk, arrest, and prosecute" left‑wing political terrorists. Miller argued that some defenders of violent actors improperly invoke civil‑liberties arguments and that prosecutorial or jury decisions he described as lenient can enable further violence.
Speakers at the ministerial emphasized cooperation across intelligence, law enforcement and financial authorities, and Rubio said the U.S. has begun holding workshops with partner countries — the first was held in May and a follow‑up workshop is slated to be co‑hosted with partners in Germany.
The ministerial moved into scheduled panels after a brief break; organizers framed the session as the start of multilateral efforts rather than as a forum for immediate new legislation or binding multilateral commitments.
