Violent Islamist Extremism
Since 2006, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has been investigating the threat facing the United States from homegrown terrorism and domestic radicalization inspired by violent Islamist extremism. The Committee has held a series of hearings examining the root causes of violent domestic radicalization, the tactics and measures used by U.S. law enforcement at every level to prevent and deter homegrown terrorism, the role of the Internet in self radicalization, and general terrorism assessments.
In May 2008, the Committee released a report entitled , “Violent Islamist Extremism, The Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat.” In February 2011, the Committee released a report entitled “A Ticking Time Bomb: Counterterrorism Lessons from the U.S. Government's Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood Attack.” In February 2012, the Committee released "Zachary Chesser: a Case Study in Online Islamist Radicalization and Its Meaning for the Threat of Homegrown Terrorism."
Timeline of the Committee’s work on violent Islamist
- Report: "Zachary Chesser: A Case Study in Online Islamist Radicalization and Its Meaning for the Threat of Homegrown Terrorism." The report is based on a correspondence between Chesser and Committee staff, and Chesser's prolific online writings before he was convicted of terrorism related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The report traces Chesser's quick trajectory from average American high school student to convicted terrorist, thanks to the Internet.
- Hearing, Decmeber 7, 2011, "Homegrown Terrorism: The Threat to Military Communities Inside the United States." The Senate and House Homeland Security Committees held a joint hearing to examine the threat of violent Islamist extremism (VIE) specifically against members of the military. More members of the military have been killed by VIE than any other group.
- Hearing, February 15, 2011: “A Ticking Time Bomb: Counterterrorism Lessons from the U.S. Government's Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood Attack.” The hearing examined the findings and recommendations of the Senators’ bipartisan report on the failures of the U.S. government to prevent the November 5, 2009, massacre that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
- Report, February 3, 2011: “A Ticking Time Bomb: Counterterrorism Lessons from the U.S. Government's Failure to Prevent the Fort Hood Attack.” This report, produced after a 14-month investigation into the November 5, 2009, shootings at Fort Hood, concluded that the Department of Defense and the FBI “collectively had sufficient information necessary to have detected Hasan’s radicalization to violent Islamist extremism but failed both to understand and to act on it. The investigation found specific and systemic failures in the government’s handling of the Hasan case and raises additional concerns about what may be broader systemic issues.
- Hearing, September 22, 2010: “Nine Years After 9/11: Confronting the Terrorist Threat to the Homeland.” This hearing provided an updated view of the terrorist threats to the homeland, the main one of which was identified as homegrown terrorism.
- Hearing, November 19, 2009: “The Fort Hood Attack: A Preliminary Assessment.” This hearing looked at military guidelines for dealing with extremism and radicalization in the military and heard from witnesses expert in the area of federal intelligence collection and information sharing.
- Hearing, September 30, 2009, “Eight Years After 9/11: Confronting the Terrorist Threat to the Homeland.” This hearing provided an updated assessment of the threat posed by violent Islamist extremism.
- Hearing, March 11, 2009: “Violent Islamist Extremism: Al-Shabaab Recruitment in America.” This hearing examined the recruitment techniques of Al-Shabaab in the U.S., specifically Minneapolis, and why these Somali-American youth may decide to go to Somalia to support and train with Al-Shabaab. It also looked at what, if any threat these individuals pose to the United States.
- Hearing, July 10, 2008: “The Roots of Violent Islamist Extremism and Efforts to Counter It.” This hearing explored the ideology that is the root source for the radicalization of potential followers of al-Qaeda and other Islamist terrorist organizations around the world.
- Report, May 8, 2008: “Violent Islamist Extremism, The Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat.” This staff report concluded the following about the terrorist threat inspired by violent Islamist extremism: “No longer is the threat just from abroad, as was the case with the attacks of September 11, 2001; the threat is now increasingly from within, from homegrown terrorists who are inspired by violent Islamist ideology to plan and execute attacks where they live. One of the primary drivers of this new threat is the use of the Internet to enlist individuals or groups of individuals to join the cause without ever affiliating with a terrorist organization.”
- Hearing, October 30, 2007: “The Role of Local Law Enforcement in Countering Violent Islamist Extremism.” This hearing examined the role of local law enforcement in countering violent Islamist extremism inside the U.S., particularly regarding communication between the federal, state, and local levels, as well as the role the Internet plays in radicalizing individuals.
- Hearing, September 10, 2007: “Confronting the Terrorist Threat to the Homeland: Six Years After 9/11.” This hearing examined the threats still facing the U.S. and reviewed what has been done since September 11, 2001, to combat terrorism.
- Hearing, June 27, 2007: “Violent Islamist Extremism: The European Experience.” This hearing looked at the lessons learned from European law enforcement countering homegrown terrorist incidents and radicalization
- Hearing, May 10, 2007: “Violent Islamist Extremism: Government Efforts to Defeat It.” This hearing looked at the U.S. Federal Government’s efforts to counteract homegrown terrorism.
- Hearing, May 3, 2007: “The Internet: A Portal to Violent Islamist Extremism.” This hearing explored the role of the Internet in self radicalization.
- Hearing, March 14, 2007: “The Threat of Islamic Radicalism to the Homeland.” This hearing illustrated the efforts the Department of Homeland Security is undertaking to assess the threat posed by those who want to radicalize Americans in order to promote attacks to the U.S. and its allies.
- Hearing, September 19, 2006: “Prison Radicalization: Are Terrorist Cells Forming in U.S. Cell Blocks?” This hearing investigated how and why terrorist cells form in the U.S. prison system, how prisons can identify these radicals, and what steps can be taken to prevent this radicalization.
