A wave of people arrested by police for threatening to commit mass shootings following the massacres in El Paso and Dayton this month has renewed debate about how best to combat domestic terrorist threats. Fran Townsend, a CBS News senior national security analyst, stated Wednesday on CBS This Morning that the U.S. must use the same strategies to combat terrorism abroad to counter it here.
It is an epidemic. Townsend stated that there is no doubt about the rise in anti-Semitism and racism. “Many of the lessons from fighting international terrorism can be applied here, which is what we need to grasp.”
However, applying the same tactics to different situations is not easy. Townsend says that international agencies have different resources than domestic law enforcement in terms of surveillance capabilities and subpoena ability.
“No question…that we had all these authority when we were fighting international terrorist, that we thought, “Well, are we really going to apply them here in the United States?” There are privacy and civil liberties concerns. First Amendment concerns are also present. We need to move past that concern. I believe there is a balance. However, we must give law enforcement the resources and authorities they require.
Authorities believe that people are less likely to report concerns about their behavior and more active shooter situations can be prevented. Townsend was President George W. Bush’s homeland security and counterterrorism advisor. He said that it is crucial that people report what they see.
“So, if you’re a young person it’s your teacher. If it’s an older person it’s your classmate. If you are an older person, it is your spouse, your community, or your employer. You must encourage others. She said that people understand now that they can prevent these from happening.”
Townsend stated that it was important to stop making excuses about white terrorists.
“When terrorists are white people, we make excuses,” right? ‘They’re crazy,’ right? Instead of saying that it was a Muslim, “They’re terrorists.” “We have to call it what it is and be open about it and not make excuses,” she stated. When we looked at the international war, we used to consider what were the enablers. If you take away the guns and communications of terrorists, it also takes away their recruiting ability. Domestic terrorism may not be as organized and hierarchical, but it is still a serious threat.
