Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued a revised terrorism advisory Friday. He warned of persistent threats throughout the country “that have evolved significantly” and “become increasingly complex and volatile.”
As the Department created in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks, the latest National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin (NTAS) is out. It focuses on the internal threats that have emerged within its borders since the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
This bulletin also piggybacks upon an earlier NTAS release that was released following President Biden’s inauguration, which expires Saturday.
“Ideologically-motivated violent extremists fueled by perceived grievances, false narratives, and conspiracy theories continue to share information online with the intent to incite violence,” the bulletin reads.
Friday’s threat advisory warns that violent extremists could seek to exploit the eased COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S. “to attack a wider range of targets after previous public capacities limits have reduced the opportunities for lethal attacks.”
Bulletin warns public about extremists’ use of social media platforms and social media to claim “a race war”, exploiting civil disorder “to engage violence in furtherance to ideological objectives.” DHS stated in an advisory that encryption by small violent extremist cells and lone offenders poses a problem for law enforcement operations. The offenders seek to hide operational signs of future violence.
“Today’s terrorist-related threat landscape has become more complex, dynamic, and diversified than it was a few years ago,” Secretary Mayorkas stated in a statement to CBS News. We all know how important it is to provide timely and useful information to the general public in order to protect the homeland.
Mayorkas said, “With today’s NTAS Bulletin we are advising public to be alert about ongoing threats to United States, including those posed domestic terrorism, grievance based violence and those inspired by foreign terrorists or other malign foreign influence. DHS is intensifying its efforts to identify and disrupt any form of domestic and foreign terrorism and targeted violence in this changing threat environment. It also safeguards privacy protections, civil rights and civil liberties.
According to the bulletin, foreign terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda or ISIS continue to target U.S.-based extremists in an effort to amplify dangerous narratives.
According to the bulletin, nation-state adversaries have increased their efforts to sow discord. It singles out Russian and Chinese government-linked media outlets that propagate conspiracy theories about COVID-19’s origins and the effectiveness of vaccines. Some of these theories call for violence against people of Asian descent.
The advisory has been updated to identify houses of worship, crowded commercial buildings or gatherings, government facilities, as historical targets for domestic terrorism. It also encourages local law enforcement partners and federal authorities to alert them of any online and physical indicators that there is a growing threat of violence.
The National Security Council (NSC) led a 100-day policy review on domestic violent extremism that the Biden administration completed earlier this month.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, stated that the ultimate goal of the review was to create a strategy that would convey to the American people an overall sense of how they’ll tackle domestic terrorism. I expect an update on this and the policy recommendations to be weeks rather than months. That’s the current stage.
Top anti-terrorism officials gave lawmakers a sneak peek at the policy tools being considered by Congressmen during a congressional hearing last month.
John Cohen, Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism at DHS, told the House Homeland Security Committee the Biden administration had considered leveraging the watch-listing authority of Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration (TSA), to combat domestic violent extremism.
John Godfrey (Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism, State Department) stated in the same hearing, that the administration had floated terrorist designations, in particular Specially Designated Terrorist Groups authorities, against racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists. He added that they are “close” in a few cases.
Friday’s NTAS Bulletin reflects findings of a March joint report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. This report predicted that the continuing coronavirus pandemic as well as the “emboldening effect of the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol,” will “almost certainly” encourage domestic violent extremists into further violence.
According to intelligence agencies, the most dangerous threats were those who are racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists. The most likely to incite mass-casualty attack against civilians was determined to be racially motivated extremists. Militarized extremists usually target government personnel and facilities and law enforcement.
According to CBS News memos to employees, DHS secretary initiated an internal investigation to address domestic violent extremism in the department.
DHS has been using the NTAS bulletin since 2015 to identify “homegrown terrorists” inspired or terrorist groups. However, January’s advisory was the first time that the department had issued a bulletin regarding a domestic threat to the homeland.
DHS bulletins illustrate recent developments and trends in terrorism threats. They should not be confused with an enhanced alert which warns about a credible terrorist threat or an imminent alert which warns about a credible, specific, and imminent terrorism threat.
Friday’s NTAS bulletin will expire on August 13, 2021.
Kathryn Watson contributed to the report.
