The U.S. Departments of State and Justice held the second meeting of the Counterterrorism Law Enforcement Forum (CTLEF), co-hosted by the Government of Norway, in Oslo on June 6-7.  The CTLEF, which focuses on countering the global threat of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), brought together law enforcement, prosecutors, and other criminal justice practitioners from Europe and North and South America, alongside representatives from INTERPOL, Europol, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, and other multilateral organizations.

At the CTLEF meeting, State Department Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ian Moss highlighted Russia’s damaging role, including in allowing REMVE actors to operate in the country, having REMVE groups fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, promoting a false narrative that Ukraine is a Nazi hotbed, and thus citing “de-Nazification” as one of the primary pretexts for its full-scale invasion.  Deputy Coordinator Moss announced that the Bureau of Counterterrorism is awarding $2 million for new projects designed to counter Russian disinformation and publicize Russia’s hypocrisy on this front.

The CTLEF meeting also focused on increasing awareness and information sharing among law enforcement and criminal justice partners about global REMVE activity, including the transnational linkages between and among REMVE actors.  Additionally, participants discussed recent law enforcement actions that governments have taken to disrupt REMVE actors’ global activity and best practices in this challenging area.

In addition to the Departments of State and Justice, officials from the Department of the Treasury, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also participated in this meeting.  The CTLEF will convene again in spring 2024.

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