# Actual Threat - Terrorism in America



## RackMaster (Jan 31, 2017)

Given the current climate and impending changes from the new administration, I started looking for actual research on the threat.  I found this study that is pretty thorough with a list of all those with terrorism related charges in the US.  As I find new sources, I'll add them.

ISIS in America | Center for Cyber & Homeland Security | The George Washington University


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## Kraut783 (Jan 31, 2017)

This does not include the U.S. travelers who have sealed complaints/indictments and Interpol Red Notices that are not in custody and currently in conflict countries. Hopefully these will be either killed or captured on the battlefield, or caught fleeing.

Also, this is only ISIL related charges too.


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## Red Flag 1 (Jan 31, 2017)

[Q


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## RackMaster (Jan 31, 2017)

Red Flag 1 said:


> There's a lot of stuff in that link.
> 
> I have to wonder how much more there is?



Days of reading probably.  Most of these cases never get reported and just add to the misunderstanding of the actual threat.  I think it's even worse in Canada, only the major stories get coverage and most here were stopped before any major threat to the public.  A lot of Canadians don't think there's a threat here at all but as most of us know the security apparatus in North America has been working overtime for well over a decade.


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## CQB (Feb 3, 2017)

I've almost finished it & I'm sure the authors aren't dodging the issue when they cannot find a unifying factor, its the silver bullet for this sort of radicalism. Try Islam.
Secondly, there's also a loose proposal that one factor is that graduate engineers are drawn to extreme Islam due to having to work with finding finite conclusions, unlike social science & humanities study where there are variables. My own comparison with study and my dive into the Koran lead me to concur here & it does have finite answers for those of that persuasion, though I'm not one of them.
Third, mentioned are other radical strains, white supremacy being one & it's mentioned in passing & such groups as the Weather Underground would stand as a good example.


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## Gunz (Feb 3, 2017)

CQB said:


> I've almost finished it & I'm sure the authors aren't dodging the issue when they cannot find a unifying factor, its the silver bullet for this sort of radicalism. Try Islam.
> Secondly, there's also a loose proposal that one factor is that graduate engineers are drawn to extreme Islam due to having to work with finding finite conclusions, unlike social science & humanities study where there are variables. My own comparison with study and my dive into the Koran lead me to concur here & it does have finite answers for those of that persuasion, though I'm not one of them.
> Third, mentioned are other radical strains, white supremacy being one & it's mentioned in passing & such groups as the Weather Underground would stand as a good example.



You may be right about the correlation between engineering and Islam. And a great many Muslim students in the US are engineering majors.

I've often wondered about that--beyond the obvious that some come from underdeveloped countries and want to help their countries modernize--with some lingering suspicion that there could also be some sinister motives related to jihad.


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## CQB (Feb 4, 2017)

The role call of engineers at the top end is impressive, civil (OBL & KSM), electrical (Ramzi Yousef), engineering & computing (Imam Samudra of Jamaah Islamiya) and others is enough to make one stop and consider it. Most undergrads would not though, be in the mix as most Muslims aren't either. It's only a very small percentage of the conservative faction which remain a threat.


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## Marauder06 (Feb 4, 2017)

This is an example of one of the (many) reasons the "they just need jobs!" trope falls apart when it comes to radical Islam.  Many of the leaders, and foot soldiers, are highly educated.  They could have a job if they wanted it.  But they choose a different path.


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## CQB (Feb 5, 2017)

Couldn't agree more. Or if you're someone like AQ Khan, you can combine both.


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## RackMaster (Feb 5, 2017)

I typically hate Bill Maher but him and his guest Sam Harris are not wrong.  It's refreshing to see a Liberal speak the truth.  

Here's the interview where he explains his thoughts without interruption. 





Here's where Sam Harris was on the panel and was constantly interrupted by the other guest's, especially Ben Affleck.


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## Il Duce (Feb 5, 2017)

Thought this was a fascinating and very germane article from the NYT today: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/...0170205&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=41336949&_r=0

For the IC and LE communities I think there are a lot of implications to this 'lone wolf' threat we haven't really started coming to terms with.  The analogy I've thought of - as imperfect as any analogy - is the threat of recruited agents on foreign soil.  During the Cold War an agent usually had to be recruited and communicated with through some intermediary in-person - something no longer necessary with the internet and telecommunications.  Also, the value of recruiting an agent had to do with their placement, access, and accessibility - their proximity to the information you want, their ability to secure the information, and your ability to maintain contact with them without unacceptable risk to your operatives.  Now, placement and access for ISIS and affiliated groups is really just the will to carry out attacks - something they hone through the recruitment process.

The similarity to me is the fact we're talking about an extremely small group of people - a percentage of the population, or even religious/ethnic population that's a fraction of a percent.  Even at the height of the Cold War internal security forces behind the iron curtain weren't catching spies by beefing up patrols and checking IDs - though they were harassing the shit out of their populations fueling discontent.  Operatives were being caught through sophisticated and targeted counterintelligence operations - something that requires significant knowledge of your  adversary and their infrastructure, something that might be harder if the first inkling you got of it you shut down their website or JDAM'd the building they're working in.

A key difference to me is the recruitment process itself.  It used to be the signs of recruitment were best spotted/analyzed by experienced folks in the IC - since that was their world (FBI CI as part of the IC in this scenario) but ISIS and affiliated recruitment seems to have more in common with internet sexual or financial predators - using the same techniques of spotting, grooming, isolating, and recruiting.

I think if we're taking this threat seriously the IC and LE communities will need to invest heavily in a different set of tools, accesses, techniques, and structure in order to combat the threat.  I think broad shifts in immigration or policy towards groups of people may have other costs/benefits but will be limited to useless in really combatting this threat.


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## CQB (Feb 6, 2017)

Lone Wolves are rare, when an event occurs the investigation can reveal a support network of several supporters supplying morale & materiel.


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