On March 14, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the creation of a new unit to focus on the threat posed by “homegrown terrorists,” or individuals who are citizens or legal residents who develop attacks from within the US. This new unit was designed to look specifically at the process of radicalization, in an effort to understand the phenomenon and develop better strategies to prevent those with radical beliefs from using violence to achieve their goals. The unit will address a wide range of extremist activity, to include white supremacist and fascist organizations, militia movements, ecoterror groups, and religious extremists. However, the primary focus of the unit will be in identifying threats posed by radicalized Muslims.
To better combat this issue, the unit has developed a working definition of radicalization. As such, radicalization is defined as “the process of adopting an extremist belief system, including the willingness to use, support, or facilitate violence, as a method to effect societal change.” The unit has and will continue to use a phased approach to develop an understanding of the concept. Regional assessments have been carried out in California and the New York City metropolitan area. Additional assessments are also ongoing in the Midwest, Washington D.C., and Texas.
Initial Findings
Preliminary findings by the unit include:
• Radicalization has increased at universities and in youth group organizations, due in part to the Internet and charismatic leaders. The personality of these individuals allows them to attract others, particularly young followers, and to “instill a brand of extreme ideology.”
• Several groups in the US serve as “gateways” for radicalization because of their ideologies, membership, and leadership. Specifically, when individuals join these groups, they are more likely to accept a new collective identity. While the majority of such groups do not directly support the use of violence, lone actors associated with the group may attempt to recruit others for violent acts.
• Radicalization is a growing problem at prisons, where the environment fosters inmates’ needs for group identity, protection, and spiritual guidance. Influential inmates may urge others to participate in certain religions or attend particular mosques or organization meetings once released.
• Extremists have become adept at manipulating social situations in order to provoke political responses that can later be used as propaganda to advance their cause.
Future Challenges
It is anticipated that the new unit will work closely with all levels of law enforcement and will develop relationships with local communities and leaders in order to successfully combat radicalization. The unit will also attempt to develop tracking methodologies for emerging radicalization in order to identify individuals prior to any use of violence. Combating this trend will require significant resources and attention. While the threat of homegrown radicalization is lower in the US in comparison to many Asian and European nations, these extremists do pose a significant challenge to the US. The threat posed by such individuals will likely increase if this new unit does not achieve its goals.
