U.S. | Wed Oct 19, 2016 | 10:51am EDT

Exclusive: White House plans community-based prevention of violent ideologies

By Julia Edwards | WASHINGTON

A new White House plan aims to convene teachers and mental health professionals to intervene and help prevent Americans from turning to violent ideologies, work that is currently mostly done by law enforcement, a draft of the policy seen by Reuters shows.

The 18-page plan, to be announced on Wednesday, marks the first time in five years that the Obama administration has updated its policy for preventing the spread of violent groups. Authorities blamed radical and violent ideologies as the motives for attacks in the last year in Charleston, South Carolina; San Bernardino, California; Orlando, Florida; New York and New Jersey.

A self-styled white supremacist is accused of shooting dead nine black people inside a historic African-American church in Charleston and the other shootings and bombs were inspired by Islamist militants.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have questioned Department of Homeland Security officials over the delay in updating the department's approach to countering recruitment strategies by Islamic State, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria, and other groups.

Congress does not have the authority to reject the plan, but it could withhold funding to prevent it from being fully implemented. ...

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