Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., warned last Thursday (May 8) that the threat of home-grown terrorism is on the rise, aided by the Internet’s capacity to spread the core recruitment and training message of violent Islamist terrorist groups.

At a morning press conference to release the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee staff report, ‘Violent Islamist Extremism, The Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat,’ the Senators said that as the threat of home-grown terrorism evolves, so too should the government’s response, which must include coordinated and comprehensive strategic communications and outreach efforts.

The report found that as the Internet breaks down physical borders and cultural barriers, permitting easy access to violent extremist ideology, the greater the likelihood that more disaffected people will buy into the global violent Islamist movement.

The report also found that al-Qaeda and other supporters of violent Islamist ideology have also stepped up their efforts to appeal to English speaking audiences, especially Americans, including specific ethnic, religious, and racial populations in the United States.

The report concluded that the federal government must address key questions such as: what, if any, new laws, resources, and tactics should be implemented to prevent the spread of violent extremist ideology in the United States; how should a counter communications strategy be fashioned and what roles should the government and community and religious leaders play; what is the purpose of current outreach efforts and how can those efforts be improved; and how should local officials and local law enforcement be involved.

The report is part of an ongoing investigation into violent Islamist extremism and home-grown terrorism conducted by the Committee that has included six hearings over the course of nearly two years. Law enforcement witnesses have testified to a growing danger from home-grown terrorism. But the Senators observed that, beyond classified intelligence and law enforcement programs, the federal government has provided “relatively uncoordinated outreach to American-Muslim communities and fragmented communications strategies.”

The report can be found here (PDF).

•Date: 13th May 2008• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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