American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat Jerome P. Bjelopera Specialist in Organized Crime and Terrorism January 23, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R41416 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat Summary This report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred since 9/11. For this report, “homegrown” describes terrorist activity or plots perpetrated within the United States or abroad by American citizens, legal permanent residents, or visitors radicalized largely within the United States. The term “jihadist” describes radicalized individuals using Islam as an ideological and/or religious justification for their belief in the establishment of a global caliphate, or jurisdiction governed by a Muslim civil and religious leader known as a caliph. The term “violent jihadist” characterizes jihadists who have made the jump to illegally supporting, plotting, or directly engaging in violent terrorist activity. The report also discusses the radicalization process and the forces driving violent extremist activity. It analyzes post-9/11 domestic jihadist terrorism and describes law enforcement and intelligence efforts to combat terrorism and the challenges associated with those efforts. Appendix A provides details about each of the post-9/11 homegrown jihadist terrorist plots and attacks. There is an “executive summary” at the beginning that summarizes the report’s findings. Congressional Research Service American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 Homegrown Jihadist Terrorists: The Problem ........................................................................... 1 How Do People Become Violent Jihadists? ........................................................................ 2 Analysis of Homegrown Jihadist Plots ............................................................................... 2 Combating Homegrown Violent Jihadists ................................................................................. 3 Preventive Policing ............................................................................................................. 3 State and Local Authorities ................................................................................................. 4 Investigative Approaches .................................................................................................... 4 Trust and Partnership ........................................................................................................... 4 Balancing Security and Liberty ........................................................................................... 4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Homegrown Violent Jihadists .......................................................................................................... 7 Shortcomings and Strengths ...................................................................................................... 7 Radicalization and Violent Extremism .......................................................................................... 11 From Radicalization to Violent Extremism ............................................................................. 12 Forces and Factors in the Forging of Terrorists ....................................................................... 13 Intermediaries .................................................................................................................... 14 Social Networks ................................................................................................................ 19 The Internet ....................................................................................................................... 20 Jailhouse Jihadism ............................................................................................................. 23 Overview of Post-9/11 Homegrown Jihadist Terrorism Plots and Attacks .................................... 25 Overarching Themes................................................................................................................ 26 A Variety of Endgames ...................................................................................................... 26 Little Stomach for Suicide or Martyrdom ......................................................................... 34 The Success of Lone Wolves ............................................................................................. 35 Varied Capabilities ............................................................................................................ 35 Combating Homegrown Terrorism: Enforcement Activities ......................................................... 37 Intelligence Approaches .......................................................................................................... 39 Preventive Policing ........................................................................................................... 40 The Role of State and Local Law Enforcement ....................................................................... 45 Investigative Approaches ......................................................................................................... 48 The Capone Approach ....................................................................................................... 48 Agent Provocateur Cases .................................................................................................. 50 Combating Homegrown Terrorism: Building Trust and Partnership ............................................. 55 Engagement and Community Policing .................................................................................... 55 The Tension Between Enforcement and Engagement Activities ............................................. 56 Figures Figure 1. Counterterrorism Context ............................................................................................... 39 Congressional Research Service American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat Tables Table B-1. Homegrown Violent Jihadist Attacks and Plots Since 9/11: Terrorist Profile and Training ................................................................................................... 134 Table B-2. Homegrown Violent Jihadist Attacks and Plots since 9/11: Targets, Endgames, and Investigative Tools ............................................................................................................. 136 Appendixes Appendix A. Summary of Post-9/11 Homegrown Violent Jihadist Terrorist Plots ........................ 62 Appendix B. Tables ...................................................................................................................... 134 Contacts Author Contact Information......................................................................................................... 137 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................... 137 Congressional Research Service American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat Executive Summary This report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred since 9/11. It discusses the radicalization process and the forces driving violent extremist activity. It analyzes post-9/11 domestic jihadist terrorist activity and describes law enforcement and intelligence efforts to combat terrorism and the challenges associated with those efforts. It also briefly discusses efforts to build trust and partnership between community groups and government agencies and the tensions that may occur between law enforcement and engagement activities. The report does not address terrorist activity against the United States conducted by foreigners largely radicalized abroad such as Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis’s attempt to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2012), the Printer Cartridge plot (2010), the attempted airline bombing by Farouk Abdulmutallab (Christmas Day 2009), the Transatlantic Airliners plot (August 2006), or the “shoe bomber” Richard Reid (December 2001). Nor does the report address domestic terrorism attributed to violent extremists inspired by non-jihadist causes such as radical environmentalism, animal rights, or anti-abortion causes. Specific plots and attacks are described throughout the report to support analytical findings. A full description of each of the post-9/11 cases is provided in Appendix A of the report. Homegrown Jihadist Terrorists: The Problem “Homegrown” is the term that describes terrorist activity or plots perpetrated within the United States or abroad by American citizens, legal permanent residents, or visitors radicalized largely within the United States. The term “jihadist” describes radicalized individuals using Islam as an ideological and/or religious justification for their belief in the establishment of a global caliphate, or jurisdiction governed by a Muslim civil and religious leader known as a caliph. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimates that there have been 63 homegrown violent jihadist plots or attacks in the United States since September 11, 2001