By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a summit on July 15 that will include dozens of countries to discuss ways to counter a resurgence in political violence, a State Department official said on Thursday.
The “ministerial on resurgence of political terrorism” will be held in Washington and Rubio plans to invite representatives of more than 60 countries from regions including the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia, the official said.
The summit follows President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism strategy, which he signed in May, focused on identifying and neutralizing what the White House called “violent, secular political groups whose ideology is anti-American, radically transgender or anarchist, such as Antifa.”
The State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the global threat has not been adequately addressed in the past.
“Our counterterrorism operating system needs an update to deal with the reality of such threats, to protect American citizens and U.S. national security and interests,” the official said.
U.S. efforts target activity that meets the definition of terrorism: assassinations, kidnapping, violent threats to government, facilities, and law enforcement as well as attacks on critical infrastructure and military personnel, the official said.
After the assassination in September of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, White House aides called for a coordinated effort against unnamed left-wing groups accused of promoting violence.
The White House said the U.S. strategy would also focus on right-wing groups that foment violence.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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