White House summit won’t focus solely on Islamic State

A White House summit this week on countering violent extremism will not focus exclusively on threats from the Islamic State group, senior administration officials said Monday. While the militant group, which has killed several Americans and others it had been holding hostage, poses a near-term threat to the United States, one of three officials previewing the summit for reporters on Monday said violent extremists “come in all shapes and sizes.” The three-day conference will highlight both domestic and international efforts to prevent extremists and their supporters from radicalising, recruiting and inspiring others, particularly disaffected young people. The conference is looking at ways to prevent extremists from carrying out violent acts, such as the spate of events that took place in Denmark, France, Canada and Australia in recent weeks and months. President Barack Obama is scheduled to address Wednesday that will look at how cities across the United States are dealing with these issues. Obama will also deliver remarks Thursday at the State Department, where representatives of some 60 countries are scheduled to meet.

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