Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked Parliament to ban the Atomwaffen Division. AFP
Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked Parliament to ban the Atomwaffen Division. AFP
Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked Parliament to ban the Atomwaffen Division. AFP
Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked Parliament to ban the Atomwaffen Division. AFP

Britain plans to ban US-based neo-Nazi group


Nicky Harley
  • English
  • Arabic

The British government is proposing to ban a US-based white supremacist group and classify it as a terrorist organisation.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked the UK Parliament to proscribe the Atomwaffen Division neo-Nazi group.

The group, which formed in 2015, was said to have disbanded last year but reformed as the National Socialist Order.

Ms Patel is proposing to ban both organisations and make it a criminal offence to be a member of or invite support for either group, with those found guilty facing a sentence of up to 14 years in prison under the UK's new counter-terrorism and sentencing bill.

The Atomwaffen Division promoted the use of violence to trigger a race war and was linked to two banned neo-Nazi groups in the UK.

It claimed it had disbanded in March 2020 following pressure from US law enforcement agencies, but in July 2020 the National Socialist Order announced itself online as Atomwaffen's successor.

"The British government assesses that it is the same group operating under a different name but adhering to the same twisted ideology as it did when it was called Atomwaffen Division," the Home Office said.

The terrorist group has inspired other loosely affiliated groups abroad, including Feuerkrieg Division, which the UK proscribed and classified as a terrorist organisation in July 2020, it said.

Ms Patel described the group as "vile and dangerous".

"Vile and racist white supremacist groups like this exist to spread hate, sow division and advocate the use of violence to further their sick ideologies," she said.

"I will do all I can to protect young and vulnerable people from being radicalised, which is why I am taking action to proscribe this dangerous group."

She said banning the Atomwaffen Division and labelling the National Socialist Order as its alias would support police work to disrupt the threat posed to the UK's national security by such groups.

The proscription order will now be debated and, subject to approval, will come into force later this week.

White supremacist content found online

Researchers from the Counter Extremism Project discovered content on Instagram from the group.

"CEP researchers located several pieces of neo-Nazi and white supremacist content on Instagram," it said.

"Videos included a clip from an infamous National Action propaganda video on the site for approximately 43 weeks, viewed more than 100 times, and two identical videos containing still images originally from the Atomwaffen Division.

"A song praising the Christchurch attacker and using an image glorifying him was also located on the site, uploaded one week ago with more than 220 views, and a recreation of the Christchurch attack in a videogame was on Instagram for six days with 140 views."

A neo-Nazi Telegram channel created on April 12 to spread downloadable white supremacist videogames was also found.

Four games uploaded in the first three days of operation allowed the player to kill people of different ethnicities and religions.

"Extremist games allow groups and individuals to advertise and spread ideology, encourage the dehumanisation of their perceived opponents, portray violence as positive and further spread propaganda," the CEP said.

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

At Eternity’s Gate

Director: Julian Schnabel

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen

Three stars

Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do

Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.

“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”

Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.

Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.

“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”

For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.

“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”

 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports