Understanding Hate and Violent Extremism as a Long-Term Domestic Terrorism Threat

Violent extremism has been on our radar for a long time; however, the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 brought the threat of domestic terror into sharp relief. This should not have been surprising to those who reviewed the October 2020 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Threat Assessment which concluded that “racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists—specifically white supremacist extremists (WSEs)—will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland.”

How did we get here?  The U.S. has a long sordid history of domestic terrorism. However, for the past four decades, we have been more focused on international terrorism. The October 23, 1983 truck bombings of U.S. and French military barracks in Beirut, Lebanon claimed a total of 295 lives. This shocking attack stood as the most deadly act of terrorism at the time. In 1988, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and the resulting crash in Lockerbie Scotland gave the world a shocking reminder of the degree of violence extremist were capable of.

On February 26, 1993, a bomb exploded in a parking garage of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City. This event, now referred to by many as the “First World Trade Center Attack”, was the first indication that international terrorism was evolving from a regional issue, largely impacting those outside of the U.S., to a transnational concern, now reaching its tentacles into the states.

The pace of incidents picked up with the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack which happened on March 20, 1995. This domestic terrorism attack was led by members of the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo cult. They executed five coordinated attacks, releasing Sarin on three lines of the Tokyo Subway. The attack, carried out during rush hour for maximum effect, killed 13 people, injured 5,500 others.

Domestic terrorism struck the US on April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh, an ex-Army soldier, parked his bomb-laden, rented Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. This act of domestic terrorism and mass murder was carried out by one of our own, against our own. Another infamous home grown terrorist attach happened on July 27, 1996 when Eric planted a backpack containing a bomb in crowded Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia. A woman was killed and more than 100 others were injured in the blast.

Preparing to enter the new millennium, both domestic and international terrorism were of great concern. We began a period of increased federal funding for preparedness against terrorist acts when the  “Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996 (PL 104-201, September 23, 1996), also known as Nunn Lugar-Domenici, provided the key congressional findings regarding threats, risks, and shortfalls in response capabilities related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related materials and technologies. Thus began over 20 years of preparedness funding and activities carried out at the federal, state, and local levels. Mostly over fears of rough state actors.

Of course, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a real awakening of concern about international terrorism impacting the U.S. The attacks resulted in 2,977 deaths, over 25,000 injured, and significant and on-going long-term health consequences affecting many first responders and others who were in or near “ground zero”.  This was the deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 343 and 72 killed, respectively, and countless more suffering and dying from the long term consequences.

As a result of 9/11, a Department of Homeland Security was created and, in 2002, increased funding for homeland security began to flow to state and local governments. In June 2003, DHS launched the FY 2003 Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) which reflected the intent of Congress and the Administration to enhance the preparedness of the nation to combat terrorism. The funding was designed to provide assistance to “build an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, respond to, and recover from threats or acts of terrorism” and focused on select urban areas. Other funding was channeled to states to help localities prepare. Today, the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) continues to fund state and local preparedness to include private sector partners.

This injection of funding started two decades of preparedness activities focused (mostly) on the threat from abroad.  However, all along, those of us in the preparedness field knew that there were threats from within as well as demonstrated in Oklahoma City. The threat of homegrown domestic terrorist was real and enduring but not at the forefront of prepares activities.

At the same time, white supremacy was a growing concern. The Charleston Church Massacre, a mass shooting on June 17, 2015, resulted in the death of nine African Americans during a Bible study class at the Emanuel AME Church. The attacker, 21 year old white supremacist Dylann Roof was found to have targeted members of this church because of its history and stature.

In April 2016, DHS published “Countering Violent Extremism – Developing a Research Roadmap”. The DHS Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), created a Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Framework to “guide evidence based research intended to meet policy, operational, and public needs”. The Framework was structured around diverting individuals on the pathway of radicalization to violence; preventing individuals from carrying out attacks and targeting locations; mitigating the impact of extremist events; and developing individual and community resilience to violence inspired by extremism. Previous interest in CVE was largely targeted to the Muslim community living in the US. In 2014, DHS named Boston as a site for a pilot program CVE program. CVE quickly became controversial with many expressing concerns about the civil rights, civil liberties, and public safety implications of adopting this seemingly discriminatory approach.  The 2016 literature review did acknowledge right­wing extremists are also the result of radicalization, and recent studies of right­wing extremism were included in the report.

Right­wing extremism became more of a concern when, during early August 2017, the “Unite the Right Rally” was held in Charlottesville, Virginia. This rally, seen by many as a white supremacist rally, included members of the far-right and alt-right, neo-Confederates, neo-fascists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, Klu Klux Klansmen, and various right-wing militias. The marchers chanted racist and anti-Semitic slogans to include “Blood and Soil” a Nazi Germany nationalist slogan expressing ideal of a "racially" defined national body ("blood") united with a settlement area ("soil"). These protestors carried weapons and Tiki Torches, while displaying Nazi and neo-Nazi symbols and Confederate battle flags. The organizers' stated goals were to unify the American white nationalist movement as well as opposing the proposed removal of the statue of General Robert E. Lee from a local park. The events became violent, culminating in a car ramming incident where a white nationalist rammed counter protesters, killing one and injuring 19. The events resulted in a backlash against white supremacist groups.

On October 22, 2020, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) issues a brief reporting white supremacists and other like-minded extremists conducted two-thirds of the terrorist plots and attacks in the United States in 2020. Anarchists, anti-fascists, and other like-minded extremists orchestrated 20 percent of the plots and attacks, though the number of incidents grew from previous years as these extremists targeted law enforcement, military, and government facilities and personnel. While issues of domestic extremists have historically been politicized, it was becoming obvious that right wing extremism was a real threat.

Only two and a half months later, on January 6, 2021 a mob of right wing extremists were storming the Capitol.  We now see that the White House has ordered an assessment on violent extremism in U.S. The order for the evaluation comes as the justice system grapples with hundreds of suspects in the insurrection. Federal investigators say they have arrested several alleged members of extremist and white supremacist groups who participated in the events at the U.S. Capitol, including multiple participants in an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the election. The alleged participants in the insurrection included members of Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and other self-described Nazis and white supremacist group. Some of these were actually present or former military and first responders according to federal investigators. This event highlighted how various extremist groups, with members throughout the country, coalesced to support then-President Trump and his spurious claims that the election was stolen..

While new assessments are warranted we already know that we have a problem with extremists, both right and left of center. Hopefully, the issue can be de-politicalized and assess all threats fairly. But where do we go from here? How do we reduce the threat? Community outreach and engagement programs can enhance trust between government and communities as well as foster cooperation and partnerships to advance a range of local interests but much work is needed. Sustained dialogue can help us understand the reasons behind actions by government and other entities. These should not be singular events, but consistent and regular engagements on topics such as civil rights and civil liberties, education, economic stability, and other issues important to communities.

Violent extremism is one of many issues important to local stakeholders and must be addressed. Discussions about violent extremism should inform the public, build trust between government and local communities, and facilitate partnership among stakeholders. As with many other local challenges, such dialogue and partnerships will likely result in new ideas and initiatives that address specific needs related to preventing recruitment and radicalization to violence in a given location. Technical assistance may be provided to inform and enable the resulting ideas and initiatives.

When engagements focus on violent extremism and efforts to counter it, that focus should be clear and transparent. Neither broad engagement nor CVE-specific discussions are conducted for intelligence gathering purposes. Consistent with current policy, Federal law enforcement agencies have safeguards in place to ensure there is an appropriate separation between community outreach and intelligence gathering or criminal investigations. Federal departments and agencies can assist state and local law enforcement in developing similar policies and practices as needed.

Resources:

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is the leading non-profit organization monitoring the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists – including the Ku Klux Klan, the neo-Nazi movement, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, antigovernment militias, Christian Identity adherents and others. Each year since 1990, the SPLC has published an annual census of hate groups operating within the United States. The number is a barometer of the level of hate activity in the country. The hate map, which depicts the groups' approximate locations, is the result of a year of monitoring by analysts and researchers and is typically published every January or February. It represents activity by hate groups during the previous year.

See the SPLC hate map.

All Hands Consulting supports federal, state and local government homeland security programs.