Jihadists from terror groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State (ISIS) are targeting American and German youths for recruitment, "especially in Muslim communities," President Barack Obama said Monday.
"And protecting our young people from this hateful ideology, so that they’re not vulnerable to such recruitment," will take families, communities, and "faith leaders who know their communities best,"
Obama said at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But Obama said elected officials can help, "starting with the tone and the example that we set in our own countries," he said.
"[B]oth Angela and I recognize that young people in both our countries, especially in Muslim communities, are being threatened and targeted for recruitment by terrorists like al-Qaida and ISIL," he said, using another name for the Islamic State.
Obama also praised Merkel for "speaking out forcefully against xenophobia and prejudice and on behalf of pluralism and diversity."
"She’s made it clear that all religious communities have a place in Germany, just as they do here in the United States," he said. "And we’re grateful that our German friends will be joining us at our summit next week on countering violent extremism, because this is a challenge our countries have to meet together."
Thwarting recruitment may also have to combat slick, sick video efforts.
In the wake of the attack on Paris magazine Charlie Hebdo, ISIS is airing a recruitment video with the twisted theme, "What are you waiting for?" and featuring young jihadists urging radicals in French-speaking countries to kill innocents,
Fox News reports.
In one video released online last week, "Blow Up France 2," a masked jihadist bearing an assault weapon exhorts Muslims to continue terror attacks there, Fox reported Monday.
"Don’t give up and particularly don’t lower your weapons. Don’t surrender — kill. Today, it’s our darwa — kill them. You now have more than 4 million targets," the recruiter says in French.
According to the Fox News report, it was just hours after the video release that Moussa Coulibaly on Feb. 3
allegedly stabbed three French soldiers on patrol near a Jewish community center in Nice. None were seriously hurt, and Coulibaly was arrested.
The videos also call on jihadists to rise up in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and the West. Veryan Khan, of the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium believes the videos and other Islamic State tactics have even inspired attacks on law enforcement in France and Canada, Fox News reports.
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