Babbar Khalsa group poses risk to our interests, says US
The US has named Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa among the separatist movements that pose a risk to American interests overseas. Babbar Khalsa International, through violent means, seeks to establish its own independent state in India and is responsible for significant terrorist attacks in India and elsewhere, according to the Trump administration's new National Strategy for Counter-terrorism unveiled by the White House yesterday.
Separatist Sikhs using US as platform for global attention
The direct reference to Babbar Khalsa, an international terrorist organization banned by several countries including the US, Canada, and India, assumes significance because of its minuscule support base in North America. In recent months, the Indian Government is believed to have raised with the Trump administration the issue of separatist Sikhs using the United States as a platform to gain global traction.
Such groups frequently conduct assassinations, bombings: White House
In its strategy paper, White House said there's a broad range of revolutionary and separatist movements overseas whose use of violence and intent to destabilize societies often puts American lives at risk. "Such groups may avoid or deprioritize targeting US interests for now, but frequently conduct assassinations and bombings against economic and political targets, heightening risk to US personnel and interests overseas," it said.
Nordic Resistance Movement also posing risk to US: White House
Among others, the White House said the Nordic Resistance Movement is a prominent transnational, self-described nationalist-socialist organization with anti-Western views that has conducted violent attacks against Muslims, left-wing groups, and others. The group has demonstrated against the United States Government actions it perceives are supportive of Israel and has the potential to extend its targeting to the US interests, the strategy paper said.
Third separatist organization: Neo-Nazi National Action Group
"Similarly, the neo-Nazi National Action Group, a terrorist organization that was banned by the United Kingdom in 2016 for its promotion of violence against politicians and minorities, operates mainly in the United Kingdom," the White House said. It said the group has now engaged with like-minded groups in the US, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, and Poland expanding the potential influence of its violent ideology.
