‘The Terrorist Threat to the US Homeland’

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for overseeing and directing the implementation of the US National Intelligence Program and acting as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters, has issued a report into how it views the current terrorist threat to mainland United States.

The report states that the ‘US homeland will face a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years. The main threat comes from Islamic terrorist groups and cells, especially al-Qa’ida, driven by their undiminished intent to attack the homeland and a continued effort by these terrorist groups to adapt and improve their capabilities.’

The main concerns expressed in the report are that:

- Current levels of international cooperation may wane as 9/11 becomes a more distant memory and perceptions of the threat diverge.

- Al-Qa’ida has protected or regenerated key elements of its Homeland attack capability.

- Al-Qa’ida will intensify its efforts to put operatives in the US.

- Al-Qa’ida will continue to enhance its capabilities to attack the US homeland through greater cooperation with regional terrorist groups.

- Al-Qa’ida will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI), its most visible and capable affiliate and the only one known to have expressed a desire to attack the US homeland.

- Al-Qa’ida’s Homeland plotting is likely to continue to focus on prominent
political, economic, and infrastructure targets with the goal of producing mass casualties, visually dramatic destruction, significant economic aftershocks, and/or fear among the US population.

- Al-Qa’ida will continue to try to acquire and employ chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material in attacks and will not hesitate to use
them if it develops what it deems is sufficient capability.

- Lebanese Hizballah, which has conducted anti-US attacks outside the United States in the past, may be more likely to consider attacking the US homeland over the next three years if it perceives the United States as posing a direct threat to the group or Iran.

- The terrorist threat from US citizens of the Muslim faith is not likely to be as severe as it is in Europe.

- Non-Muslim terrorist groups (often referred to as ‘single-issue’ groups
by the FBI) probably will conduct attacks over the next three years given their violent histories, but this violence is likely to be on a small scale.

- Globalization trends and recent technological advances, will continue to enable even small numbers of alienated people to find and connect with one another, justify and intensify their anger, and mobilize resources to attack—all without requiring a centralized terrorist organization, training camp, or leader.

Read the report summary.

Note: All spellings in this news piece are as per the above report.

•Date: 19th July 2007• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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