Western governments continue to be threatened by the evolving face of modern jihadists, whose profile differs markedly from the classical version of Islamist terrorists. The recent apprehension of seven Miami-Dade county men on charges of conspiring to wage war against the United States and swearing allegiance to an international terrorist organization reinforces the growing threat of homegrown, autonomous cells . Since the 2004 Madrid train bombings , TRC has repeatedly analyzed the growth of so-called “vanguard outpost cells” , or terrorist cells that lack direct operational relations with the greater al-Qaeda terrorist network but are inspired to militancy and possibly guided operationally by al-Qaeda/jihadist ideology.
However, as details surrounding the arrest of the seven members of the “Sea of David” religious organization continue to surface, it becomes increasingly clear that these men did not posses the Islamic religious extremism that has characterized cells in the Madrid and 2005 London attacks . Moreover, the men followed the religious teachings of the Prophet Noble Drew Ali who founded the Moorish Science Temple of America (site), an early 20th century religion that blends Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and stresses discipline through martial arts. Details suggest the men were inspired to conduct an attack upon the Chicago Sears Tower and other federal office buildings in Miami-Dade out of hatred for President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq .
As discussed by TRC, the nature of the homegrown, autonomous terrorist cell is to blend into the society they seek to target, leveraging their low profile and innate familiarity with the society with a far lower operational signature than an active foreign cell. As such, these cells often attract little public attention, as doing so could hinder their ability to complete their mission successfully. However, residents of Miami’s Liberty Center—where the men trained and slept in an abandoned warehouse—described the men as “socially awkward,” “religiously outspoken,” and “militant like,” suggesting that they were not, in fact, maintaining a low, inconspicuous profile.
Since 9/11 , some 50 US citizens have been arrested for plotting terrorist attacks against the US, providing financial and/or material support to terrorist organizations, or training with terrorist organizations. Most of them can be characterized as amateurish in ideological rhetoric and operational sophistication. However, US law enforcement recognizes the burgeoning threat such aspirant groups pose to the security and well being of Americans as even the most amateurish of pseudo terrorists can cause irreparable harm. FBI Director Robert Mueller , speaking on June 23, said, “homegrown terrorists may prove to be as dangerous as groups like al-Qaeda, if not more so.”
More troubling to investigators, however, is the group’s lack of criminal and/or ideological history, suggesting the men quickly evolved into the violent persona that allowed for the formation of such deadly plots. Homegrown, Islamic extremist cells often cite cultural alienation, radical cleric influence, youthful rebellion, and religious defense (see this WAR Report) as motivations for developing terrorist plots. It appears the group’s leader, Nasreal Batiste, a lifelong Christian and recent convert to the Moorish Science Temple of America, told undercover officers that he wished to avenge the killing of Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Although this particular group appears non-threatening, their rhetoric and quest to defend Islam symbolizes the growing alienation of Islamic communities throughout Western states. This alienation has remained largely confined within the European Islamic immigrant community, a trend that may be ending as Americans grow increasingly unwelcoming to various immigrant communities, causing severe dislocation among these populations.