Domestic Extremism

Domestic terrorist groups are violent extremists that want to attack the U.S. from the inside. Their intent is to frighten, pressure, and/or influence national principles. Today’s terrorist organizations are using cyberspace to spread their message. Training and online recruitment are also being made available by the Internet and social media websites. Some of the acts are lone-wolf attacks and others are collective attacks. Some examples of domestic terrorist groups that use cyberspace are Army of God, Sovereign Citizens, and Phineas Priesthood. The Southern Poverty Law Center released a report on terrorism, stating that more people have been killed in America by non-Islamic domestic terrorists than jihadists (Henderson, 2015). Terrorist

Tactics to induce terror in pursuit of a political goal have been utilized by a multitude of organizations across the globe. This method of power control is known as terrorism, and due to its impact and unpredictability, it is highly feared and monitored today in the 21st century. Attacks of this nature stem from radical beliefs of religion, ethics, or other politics, and have been carried out globally, ranging from the 9/11 attack in New York City to the 2015 shooting in Paris, France. Terrorism over recent years has grown despite an abundance of efforts by many nations and international organisations to stop development of such groups. This growth is partially attributed to advances in digital technology and the furtherment of communication techniques, such as social media and web-based content, which has allowed for the spread of these radical ideas across the planet making it difficult to control the advancement of these beliefs (Council on Foreign Relations, 2009). Terrorism will never be able to be fully stopped due to the abstract nature and ideology from which terrorism originates.

The First Amendment gives the freedom of religion and speech and of the press. A person can go to a mosque or church that may be radical in their teachings. They may voice their radical opinions as long as it is not an outright threat. Even printed materials about their views are legal. According to the Second Amendment, a person can buy arms and ammunition legally. In order for police to obtain a search warrant, probable cause must be present. (Les Benedict, 2006). Just because a person goes to a radical mosque, a search for bomb-making materials cannot be obtained without probable cause that the materials are there. A person cannot be persecuted based on loose suspicions. Therefore, a tip has to be followed up by an investigation to see if the person is doing something illegally. Only if reliable

“Terrorism's particularly heinous but highly attractive means to achieve political objectives or even radically restructure political foundations is manifest within societies in all reaches of the world. While the practical application of terrorist methodologies comes across as a relatively straightforward craft, the conceptual and ideological understanding, and subsequent evaluation of its socio-political influence, implementation, and psychological impacts present difficult questions, and in some cases conceivably insurmountable obstacles” (Romaniuk 2014, para

Terrorism has had a profound affect on the world, as it has inspired fear and despair in the hearts of millions of people. Specifically in the United States, where in certain circumstances U.S. citizens will carry out acts of terror to further their own cause. Domestic terrorism has taken roots in many aspects of society through certain ideological groups, radicalization through media, and by acts of terror that cause immense civil unrest.

It is nearly impossible to go an entire day in the United States without hearing of some act of terrorism. Whether it be a shooting in a public place or threats against a group of people, this violent form of conflict is prevalent in every American’s life. These ruthless acts of cold-blooded murder demonstrate evil in its purest form, and leave death and mourning in their wake. The article “Homegrown Terrorism: Is There an Islamic Wave?” gives an overview of the rise of domestic terrorism since the tragedy of 9/11. Though it was written in 2011, the core message is the same today: terrorism in the United States still continues to grow at a sickening pace, with each new attack seeming more barbaric than the last.

Over the past year or two, newspapers, radio stations, and news broadcasts have been covering the rapid ascent of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS. But they have spread far beyond those material boundaries, reaching into the minds and homes of young people across the globe. These young people are led to believe that ISIS is saving the world, not harming it and that they must partake in the fight for religious dictatorship. They are instructed over the internet to perform acts of terrorism in their own country, known as domestic terrorism. Due to the dramatic increase in terrorist activity

When most Americans attempt to visualize a so-called “terrorist” or “extremist”, they most likely imagine a Middle-eastern man with a big grey beard, shouting, “Allahu Akbar!” After the attacks on September 11th, The United States changed dramatically and permanently. The government declared war on a new type of terror, and directly gave the public the impression that our freedoms and “way of life” were under attack and being imminently threatened. A radical threat that most citizens almost never think about, are the ones that exist within our own borders, the domestic variety. Domestic threats that have been active and relevant for a much greater span of time when compared to modern international terrorist organizations. In fact, the oldest American terror group reached its 150th anniversary just last year – The Ku Klux Klan (cite).

A United States citizen turning against one’s own government and embracing an ideology to kill another citizen or commit an act of violence is a growing phenomenon commonly known as homegrown terrorism. This transition or radicalization process that transforms an individual into an adversary has intensified since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The problem continues to persist in other parts of the world such as Canada, United Kingdom and even in Saudi Arabia, a Non-Western country. This form of extremism has shown its propensity in the United States since the turn of the century when Muslim extremism had its early beginnings as a venue to support a black separatist movement.

There are many psychological and behavioral factors that may contribute to someone becoming a homegrown terrorist. Some of these factors include uncertainty toward or disappointment in parental figures, prolonged youth identity searching with the crises that accompany it, and possible issues toward women, intimacy, marriage, (Olsson 2013). Other factors also include issues with authority such as fearing or hating authority while longing for effective authority (Olsson 2013).

Homegrown violent extremists are defined as individuals who are radicalized and receive the inspiration to commit terrorist acts in the country they live in, from foreign terrorist organizations (New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, 2017). These individual's actions are independent of the foreign terrorist organization that inspired them. Although they receive inspiration from these foreign terrorist organizations the individual's personal grievances can influence what they do, and how and who they target (New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, 2017). Foreign terrorist organizations can influence people like this through the use of the internet as

The types of threats aimed at the nation are changing as well. Terrorist groups such as IS (also know as ISIS or ISIL) are still interested in Western recruits because it is easier for them to travel between countries and they are knowledgeable of western cultures and language. Individuals do not always come from foreign countries, and are sometimes American or European citizens. The recruits’ lineage can come from the country in which the terrorist reside or the recruit may be impressed or drawn to the ideals and beliefs of another country.

During this process, dangerous values, violent ideas and Western culture are disseminated faster, resulting in the recurrent mayhem and murders, and the loss of cultural identity. Thanks to the Internet and fast communications, people can interact more easily with each other in the flat world. Friedman mentions that “The flat world has also been such a huge boon for al Qaeda and its ink because of the way it enables the small to act big, and the way it enables small acts—the killing of just a few people—to have big effects”(Friedman 177). Globalization is a bonus for al Qaeda, which uses supply-chaining to raise money, to recruit followers, and to stimulate and disseminate ideas, because it promotes faster spreading of their open messages, makes it easier to transmit their terror, and enhances their presentation. Small acts and threats, which seem to only have impacts on casualties, have the potential to trigger panic and agitation all over the world. The influence of their outrage against humanity is magnified by using the full panoply of website technologies. That is why Friedman regards

During the age of globalization modern technology has made terrorism global by putting communication in the hands of even the poor and disenfranchised. Among them are terrorists who convert and circulate information via the internet. Technology also allow terror cells to map and monitor potential targets.

Terrorists express their loathing for those outside their coalition by stifling growth and opportunity. A person who despises another based on skin color, religion, sexual orientation, or political belief is essentially a bigot. A hater. A bad seed. However, this same individual gains power and credibility when banded together with those of like mind. At once, the brotherhood becomes a fraternity, a circle in which radical attitudes and the spewing of hatred finds a friend.