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The Internet and Homegrown Jihadist Terrorism Assessing U.S. Detection Techniques

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The Internet and Homegrown Jihadist Terrorism Assessing U.S. Detection Techniques Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive DSpace Repository Theses and Dissertations 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items 2010-12 The internet and homegrown jihadist terrorism assessing U.S. detection techniques Banez, Justin D. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/5027 Downloaded from NPS Archive: Calhoun NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS THE INTERNET AND HOMEGROWN JIHADIST TERRORISM: ASSESSING U.S. DETECTION TECHNIQUES by Justin D. Bañez December 2010 Thesis Advisor: Erik J. Dahl Second Reader: Sean F. Everton Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2010 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Internet and Homegrown Jihadist Terrorism: 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Assessing U.S. Detection Techniques 6. AUTHOR(S) Justin D. Bañez 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The idea of homegrown terrorism is not a new concept, especially considering the history of challenges faced by the United States and other Western countries. However, the current violent jihadist problem has overshadowed those past misfortunes in terms of its objective and volatility. What is emergent is the means by which the individuals involved in this movement reinforce or possibly operationalize their radicalized behavior. The Internet is often that vehicle. Efforts to reform U.S. intelligence have placed increasing value on open source information for threat assessments. Consequently, the open Internet has been targeted in search of radical actors, both foreign and homegrown. Some analysts contend that the availability of radical discourse on the Internet presents an opportunity for early identification by authorities. This thesis analyzes the value of open source exploitation of the Internet in the domestic counterterrorism role in relation to other detection techniques in order to extract best practices and lessons learned for improved intelligence and law enforcement activities. 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES Homegrown Terrorism; Jihad; Internet; Open Source 141 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THE INTERNET AND HOMEGROWN JIHADIST TERRORISM: ASSESSING U.S. DETECTION TECHNIQUES Justin D. Bañez Captain, United States Air Force B.S., United States Air Force Academy, 2004 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY STUDIES (HOMELAND SECURITY AND DEFENSE) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2010 Author: Justin D. Bañez Approved by: Erik J. Dahl Thesis Advisor Sean F. Everton Second Reader Harold A. Trinkunas, PhD Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The idea of homegrown terrorism is not a new concept, especially considering the history of challenges faced by the United States and other Western countries. However, the current violent jihadist problem has overshadowed those past misfortunes in terms of its objective and volatility. What is emergent is the means by which the individuals involved in this movement reinforce or possibly operationalize their radicalized behavior. The Internet is often that vehicle. Efforts to reform U.S. intelligence have placed increasing value on open source information for threat assessments. Consequently, the open Internet has been targeted in search of radical actors, both foreign and homegrown. Some analysts contend that the availability of radical discourse on the Internet presents an opportunity for early identification by authorities. This thesis analyzes the value of open source exploitation of the Internet in the domestic counterterrorism role in relation to other detection techniques in order to extract best practices and lessons learned for improved intelligence and law enforcement activities. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. RESEARCH QUESTION ...............................................................................1 B. PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE ..................................................................2 C. LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................3 D. PROBLEMS AND HYPOTHESES ...............................................................9 E. METHODS AND SOURCES........................................................................10 II. THE GROWING CONCERN OVER JIHAD ON THE NET ..............................15 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................15 B. PERSPECTIVES FROM THE TERRORISM RESEARCH COMMUNITY ...............................................................................................16 1. Jihad Goes Online ...............................................................................17 C. THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY CATCHES ON ..........................22 1. Assessments: 1996 to 1999.................................................................23 2. Assessments: 2000 to 2007.................................................................26 D. NOT A TOOL JUST FOR JIHADISTS ......................................................28 III. COLLECTING AND USING INTERNET INFORMATION: CHALLENGES..........................................................................................................31 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................31 B. DEALING WITH INFORMATION VOLUME.........................................33 C. LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL OBSTACLES ........................................35 D. ASSESSING CREDIBILITY........................................................................36 E. ORGANIZATIONS .......................................................................................38 1. National Counterterrorism Center ..................................................39 2. DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis..........................................41 3. National Open Source Center...........................................................43 4. Federal Bureau of Investigation .......................................................44 5. University of Arizona Dark Web Project ........................................45 F. PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES ..........................................................46 IV. CASE STUDIES.........................................................................................................51 A. OVERVIEW...................................................................................................51 B. PORTLAND SEVEN—PORTLAND, OR (2002).......................................53 C. TORRANCE PLOTTERS—TORRANCE, CA (2005)..............................58 D. ADAM GADAHN—RIVERSIDE, CA (2004).............................................62 E. RONALD GRECULA—HOUSTON, TX (2005)........................................68 F. NAJIBULLAH ZAZI—DENVER, CO (2009)............................................72 G. MICHAEL FINTON—DECATUR, IL (2009)............................................79 H. HOSAM SMADI—DALLAS, TX (2009).....................................................84 I. TOLEDO THREE—TOLEDO, OH (2006) ................................................90 J. GEORGIA PLOTTERS—ATLANTA, GA (2006).....................................97 K. COLLEEN LAROSE—PENNSBURG, PA (2009)...................................104 vii L. FINDINGS....................................................................................................109 V. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................113 A. SUMMARY ..................................................................................................113 B. RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................114
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