U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a ministerial on July 15 in Washington aimed at coordinating an international response to what U.S. officials describe as a resurgence in political terrorism, a State Department official said on Thursday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the "ministerial on resurgence of political terrorism" will include delegations from more than 60 countries spanning the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia. The summit is intended as a forum to discuss how governments can update counterterrorism approaches to confront new manifestations of politically driven violence.
According to the State Department official, current U.S. counterterrorism measures remain centered on established definitions of terrorism. Those definitions encompass acts including assassinations, kidnapping, violent threats directed at government entities, attacks on facilities and law enforcement, assaults on critical infrastructure, and violence against military personnel.
The July meeting follows a counterterrorism strategy President Donald Trump signed in May. The White House document, as described by officials, singles out "violent, secular political groups whose ideology is anti-American, radically transgender or anarchist, such as Antifa," and directs efforts to identify and neutralize such groups.
"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 anonymous State Department official said, adding that the global threat has not been adequately addressed in the past.
Senior White House aides have pushed for a coordinated response following the assassination in September of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling for action against unnamed left-wing groups they accuse of promoting violence. The White House has also stated that the U.S. strategy will target right-wing groups that foment violence.
The ministerial is positioned as a diplomatic effort to bring international partners into discussions about updating counterterrorism policy and practice to address what U.S. officials view as evolving risks. The State Department official emphasized that U.S. efforts will focus on activity that meets the stated definition of terrorism, including killings, kidnappings and violent threats affecting government, infrastructure, law enforcement and military personnel.
Note on scope: The information in this report is drawn from statements made by a State Department official and descriptions of the White House counterterrorism strategy as conveyed by U.S. officials. Details on the ministerial's agenda, participating countries, and specific policy measures to be proposed have not been provided beyond what is stated above.