Ahead of next year’s presidential election, the federal police agency has created a new “extremist” category to monitor and combat: the most devoted and loyal supporters of Donald Trump.
According to Newsweek, regime-critical Republicans will be combated using methods that the USA previously employed to crush terrorist groups like al-Qaida.
The extremist category is called AGAAVE – an acronym for “anti-government, anti-authority violent extremism”. Those under investigation are individuals purportedly engaged in “furtherance of political and/or social agendas”.
James Bovard of the New York Post points out that the formulations and definitions are very vague, suggesting that anyone questioning the policies of the Biden administration is at risk of being labeled an extremist. He notes that while the FBI is obligated to have, or at least claim to have, solid information before initiating a criminal investigation, almost no concrete information is needed to start an “assessment” or “analysis” resulting in an individual being labeled as an extremist.
Over 5,500 “assessments” related to domestic terrorism were conducted in 2021, a tenfold increase since 2017 and a fiftyfold increase since 2013. According to investigative journalist William Arkin, these “assessments” are the closest thing to domestic espionage in the USA, something the FBI is reluctant to discuss openly.
Dissidents seen as “terrorists”
There’s also evidence suggesting that the demand for terrorists by those in power far exceeds the actual domestic supply, as a high-ranking federal official testified to Newsweek.
–We’ve become too prone to labeling anything we don’t like as extremism, and then any extremist as a terrorist.
FBI whistleblower Steve Friend shares this view, stating there’s “belief that half the country are domestic terrorists and we can’t have a conversation with them”.
– There is a fundamental belief that unless you are voicing what we agree . . . you are the enemy.
Trump portrayed as dangerous threat
Over recent years, the Biden administration has depicted Donald Trump and his movement as an existential threat to American democracy, warning of the alleged risks of domestic terrorism and violence linked to the 2024 election campaign.
– Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are a threat to the very soul of this country, declared Joe Biden last year.
Similar statements have been made by Biden’s appointees and staff members, repeatedly identifying Donald Trump and his followers as dangerous threats to the USA that must be stopped.
James Bovard sees parallels between arbitrarily labeling political opponents as “extremists” and the treatment of well-known anti-war activists during the Vietnam War. During that time, it was common for FBI agents to “interview” anti-war activists, spreading paranoia and fear, creating an impression of FBI agents lurking everywhere.
“The more paranoid Trump supporters become, the easier it will be for Team Biden to portray them as public menaces.”
Bovard is also concerned that details about the FBI’s “secret war” against political opponents may not become public knowledge until long after the presidential election has been decided.
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The multipolar world order is already a reality and “no one is ready to play by rules set some place overseas”, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared during the annual Valdai Forum.
He urged European politicians to stop their “anti-Russian hysteria”, claimed that 44,700 Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in September, and called US President Donald Trump a “comfortable conversation partner”.
The world is currently undergoing extensive transformation and the already established multipolar world order is a direct consequence of Western powers’ attempts to establish global hegemony, Putin argued during a speech at the Valdai Forum on Thursday.
The Russian president also outlined the Russian armed forces’ alleged successes in Ukraine and Kiev’s losses, and urged European leaders to address their own countries’ problems instead of engaging in what he described as “anti-Russian hysteria”.
Putin also expressed positive views about the new American administration’s pragmatic approach to international issues.
Nothing is predetermined
The current global situation, characterized by rapid and often dramatic changes, requires readiness for all developments. Individual responsibility is particularly important and “the stakes in the current situation are extremely high”, Putin said.
A multipolar world has already taken shape, according to the Russian president. “Virtually nothing is predetermined. Everything could unfold in different ways. Much depends on the precision, deliberateness, restraint, and thoughtfulness of each international actor’s actions”, he said.
Putin emphasized that in a multipolar world, all countries must seek common ground for their interests. “No one is ready to play by rules set some place overseas”, he stated.
— The relationships within the global majority, the prototype of political practices necessary and effective in a polycentric world, are based on pragmatism and realism, a rejection of bloc philosophy, and the absence of rigid, unilaterally imposed obligations or models with senior and junior partners, Putin explained.
He called the “bloc mentality” that certain countries have in order to trigger confrontation meaningless and anachronistic. New international organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are developing today in “the spirit of 21st-century diplomacy”, Putin said. “They are not against anyone; they are for themselves”.
On October 1, the he Plenary Session within the framework of the Valdai Club’s 22nd Annual Meetingvtook place in Sochi, featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin stated that the power of the US and its allies reached its peak at the end of the 20th century, but that there is not, and never will be, a force that can govern the world and dictate to everyone “how to breathe”.
— Attempts were made, but they all ended in failure, he said.
The Russian president directed sharp criticism at European politicians who he believes are trying to “patch up holes in the European edifice” by incorrectly creating an image of Russia as an enemy.
— The ruling elites of united Europe continue to whip up hysteria. It turns out that war with the Russians is almost on their doorstep. They repeat this nonsense, this mantra, over and over again, Putin said.
— Frankly, I feel like telling them, calm down, get some rest, and finally, deal with your own issues, he continued.
Russia’s leader also warned that Moscow is closely following the escalating militarization of Europe, and that Russia’s countermeasures “will not be long in coming”. He noted that there are those who hope to deliver a “strategic defeat” to Russia, but argued that even the “most obtuse hardheads” will soon realize that this is impossible.
The situation in Ukraine
Putin placed responsibility for the failed efforts to stop hostilities on “the minority, not the majority”.
— This primarily refers to Europe, which constantly escalates the conflict; there can be seen no other goal that they pursue today, he said.
The Russian president accused the West and their “servants in Kiev” of treating the Ukrainian people as expendable, a “destructive tool in others’ hands”. Putin also stated that Russian armed forces are steadily creating a buffer zone along the entire front line.
— this work is proceeding smoothly, calmly, and according to plan… As of today, the Russian army is the most combat-ready army, Putin claimed, asserting that while Russian armed forces have indeed suffered losses, these are much smaller than those of the Ukrainian military.
Russian troops have, according to him, captured two-thirds of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region and taken Kirovsk in Donetsk under their full control. The settlement of Yunakovka in the Sumy region is under Russian army control and Volchansk in the Kharkiv region is half-controlled.
Russian troops have entered Seversk, Konstantinovka and Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and need only to liberate 0.13 percent of the territory in the Luhansk People’s Republic.
He claimed there is “confusion in the ranks of the Ukrainian military” and that they do not understand what is happening on the front line. The Ukrainian army lost around 44,700 soldiers at the engagement line in September, where irreversible losses accounted for half of this figure, according to Putin. From January to August, a total of 150,000 Ukrainian military personnel deserted, he claimed.
Pragmatic view of the US
Putin stated that Russia and the US have different views on many “global problems,” but that “for major powers, this is actually normal”. Solutions to contradictions that would satisfy both sides are entirely possible to find, he argued.
— Whatever the disagreements, if we treat each other with respect, then bargaining, even the toughest and most persistent, will still aim to reach a consensus, and this means that mutually acceptable solutions are possible.
He appreciated that the current American authorities, unlike their predecessors, express their ambitions clearly and distinctly.
— It’s always better to clearly understand what other persons are up to and what they’re trying to achieve than to try to discern the real meaning in a series of understatements, ambiguities, and vague hints.
— We see that the current US administration is guided primarily by the interests of its own country, he continued.
During a visit to Alaska, the restoration of bilateral relations was discussed, since according to Putin they are “not just at an impasse, but at the lowest level in all of recent memory”. Putin further described American President Donald Trump as a comfortable conversation partner who “knows how to listen and hear.”
Furthermore, Russia is ready to support President Trump’s proposal to resolve the conflict in the Gaza Strip if it leads to the creation of two separate states, since this step is key to a “final resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict”, Putin said.
Venezuela reports that five American F-35 fighter jets were detected near the country’s Caribbean coast on Thursday, an incident occurring amid escalating tensions following deadly US attacks on boats in the region.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino called the incident a “provocation” by the US and a threat to national security. The aircraft were detected 75 kilometers from Venezuela’s coastline, well outside territorial boundaries.
— They are combat aircraft. Combat aircraft that US imperialism has dared to approach the Venezuelan coast, said Padrino in a statement on state television.
The aircraft flew at an altitude of over 10 kilometers at a speed of 400 knots and were detected by air defense systems in the Maiquetía flight information region. A commercial passenger aircraft in the area also reported the observations to air traffic control.
At least five F-35 fighter jets arrived in Puerto Rico in mid-September, where US Marines are conducting amphibious landing exercises. The White House has stated that a total of ten aircraft will be sent to the island.
“Does not intimidate us”
The tensions come after President Trump declared that the US is at war with drug cartels that the White House has classified as terrorist groups. In a confidential intelligence briefing to Congress this week, the administration announced that the US “is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations”.
However, the Pentagon has not publicly disclosed which cartels are included in this war declaration, something that according to American media has caused frustration among lawmakers who were briefed.
The Pentagon has conducted three attacks against foreign boats in the Caribbean Sea, where all 17 people on board were killed. At least two of the vessels came from Venezuela.
The attacks occurred outside US territory, and despite the administration’s claims that they were legal, no evidence has been presented that the boats were carrying drugs.
— We are watching you, and I want you to know that this does not intimidate us, Padrino continued.
Forced regime change?
Venezuela argues that the American warships deployed in the Caribbean are not primarily aimed at drug enforcement, as the US claims, but at regime change. Democrats in Congress are meanwhile demanding that Trump must seek war authorization from Congress before conducting military operations.
Many analysts also question whether Trump’s drug war is really primarily about combating drug trafficking, and the military presence in the Caribbean and repeated attacks on boats from Venezuela are interpreted by critics as preparation for a forced regime change in the country.
The US has long wanted to see President Nicolás Maduro removed, and Washington has previously openly supported opposition forces in Venezuela. By classifying cartels as terrorist organizations and claiming self-defense, the Trump administration creates legal grounds for military operations in the region – without needing to seek Congressional approval for a formal war.
For Venezuela, whose economy has already been severely pressured by American sanctions, the new military aggression is seen as another step in a long-term strategy to destabilize the country.
A Norwegian-led training center for Ukrainian troops has opened in southeastern Poland. Camp Jomsborg can accommodate up to 1,200 soldiers at a time and will focus on drone warfare.
The facility in Nowa Dęba-Lipa was inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of defense ministers from Norway and Estonia, as well as representatives from Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark.
Camp Jomsborg, built by engineers from Norway’s Brigade Nord, represents another escalation of Western support for Ukraine since the war with Russia broke out in 2022. Poland has since become a central hub for logistics and training of Ukrainian forces.
According to Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the training will be conducted by instructors from allied NATO countries, with particular focus on modern drone technology.
— There is no other army in the world as well trained in drones and counter-drone systems as Ukraine’s, he claimed at the inauguration ceremony.
Around 250 Norwegian soldiers are already stationed at the site, and five rotations of 500 troops each are planned for next year. Estonia has also sent personnel, and more nations are expected to follow.
W Lipie otwarliśmy ośrodek szkolenia (Camp Jomsborg), utworzony w Polsce we współpracy z Norwegią
Bedzie to doskonałe miejsce do szkolenia naszego wojska, żołnierzy z Ukrainy oraz żołnierzy krajów skandynawskich. Będziemy tam również rozwijać nasze zdolności dronowe.… pic.twitter.com/yCSrzNnVCG
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) October 1, 2025
“Not a one-way street”
Kosiniak-Kamysz argued that the cooperation not only benefits Ukraine, but that the allied countries also benefit from Ukrainian combat experience.
— This is not a one-way street. An important element is that we will draw on Ukrainian experience. Right next to us is a drone launch strip, the defense minister said.
He emphasized that the base symbolizes NATO countries’ unity and claimed that “peace requires strength, skill, training, a well-prepared army, a strong alliance and resilient societies”.
On the same day as the inauguration, EU leaders agreed to create a so-called “drone wall” along the bloc’s eastern flank, following claims from Poland and Estonia about Russian airspace violations. Moscow has dismissed the accusations as groundless and accused the EU of trying to incite a war against Russia.
Norway’s finance minister and former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says that Western Europe must continue sending billions to Ukraine – even if this comes at the expense of citizens’ healthcare and welfare.
— I know that one additional billion to Ukraine or one billion extra to national defense is one billion less to other good purposes like health, education and infrastructure. But we must remember that the highest cost is to let Putin win, said Stoltenberg during the conference Warsaw Security Forum on Tuesday.
Stoltenberg, who led the US-led military alliance from 2014 to 2024, is now Norway’s finance minister and during the forum he revealed that Norway under his leadership has tripled military support to Ukraine and significantly increased its own defense spending.
His statements align with the military alliance’s current Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has previously urged member countries to cut welfare in order to increase support to Kiev further.
Stoltenberg was NATO chief when the Ukraine conflict escalated into a full-scale war in February 2022. Even before the invasion, he had pushed for Ukrainian NATO membership and NATO-adapted infrastructure in the country – measures that according to Russia provoked the war.
“Starting to talk about a third world war”
After the 2022 invasion, Stoltenberg intensified demands that Ukraine should be admitted to the alliance and urged member countries to increase their military and financial support to the country.
Several Western European governments have dramatically increased their military spending over the past year, citing the alleged threat from Russia. At the same time, many European countries are struggling with strained welfare systems and demands for savings at home.
Moscow categorically denies plans to attack NATO or EU countries and claims that these allegations are used as a pretext to justify military investments at the expense of welfare.
— Some officials in NATO and the EU are beginning to seriously talk about a third world war as a potential scenario, warns Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, accusing the West of fueling anti-Russian hysteria.
