According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, domestic terror threats are much more often than foreign terror threats in the United States.
Domestic Terrorism Larger than International Terror Threats
In a recently published article in Newsweek, according to Timothy Langan, assistant director of the bureau's Counterterrorism Division, the United States is facing over 2,700 domestic terrorism threats. When questioned by Representative Nancy Mace for statistics on the FBI's workload, Langan claimed there are less than 1,000 foreign terror threats.
Langan also provided data on terrorism-related fatalities in the United States between 2015 and 2020. In that five-year period, there were 80 fatalities connected to foreign terrorism, compared to 83 deaths linked to domestic terrorism.
Officials from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security joined Langan on Capitol Hill to answer questions from legislators on the Biden administration's counterterrorism policy, according to a published article Associated Press.
The FBI's first goal is to prevent terrorist attacks. He also said that lone actors or tiny cells radicalized online who want to strike soft targets with readily available weaponry represent the "biggest terrorist danger." He also said that lone actors or small groups radicalized online who want to strike "soft targets with readily available weaponry" represent the "biggest terrorist danger."
More Americans are Concerned About Threats from Groups Based in the U.S.
In a published article in the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Langan's testimony comes after FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress earlier this month that the number of domestic terrorism cases had "exploded" during the last year and a half.
According to a recent Associated Press survey, Americans are more worried about dangers from domestic extremist organizations than those from foreign nations. Sixty-five percent of people in the United States said they were "very" or "very" worried about domestic extremist organizations, compared to 50 percent who said the same about overseas extremist groups.
Biden Directed His National Security Team To Conduct a 100-Day Review
President Joe Biden has ordered his national security staff to undertake a 100-day assessment of the federal government's efforts to combat the increase in domestic terrorism threats. The National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism was published in June as a result of the evaluation. To combat domestic terrorist threats, the proposal wants $100 million to hire critical personnel in the Justice and Homeland Security departments.
The plan asks for better information sharing among law enforcement agencies, the prevention of people being radicalized, and the elimination of the underlying causes of domestic terrorism. It will also need measures by various agencies, including the Department of Defense, to guarantee that domestic terrorists do not join the military or become law enforcement officers. Employee screening will be improved by the federal government in order to detect domestic terrorists who "may pose insider risks."
The National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, according to John Cohen, Homeland Security's counterterrorism coordinator, offers for the first time a comprehensive, whole-government strategy to fighting the danger.
