Post-9/11 Islamic Extremism in
the U.S.
Theideologiesofextremeintolerancethatmotivatedthe19hijackersresponsiblefor
carryingouttheSeptember11,2001,terroristattackscontinuetoposeaseriousthreattothe
U.S.
WhilenoattacksofthatmagnitudehavebeensuccessfulonAmericansoilinthetenyears
since9/11,oneofthemoststrikingelementsoftoday'sterrorthreatpictureistherolethata
growingnumberofAmericancitizensandresidentsmotivatedbyradicalinterpretationsofIslam
haveplayedincriminalplotstoattackAmericansintheUnitedStatesandabroad.
AlthoughtheydonotconstituteafullycoherentmovementintheU.S.,moreandmore
Americancitizensandresidentsarebeinginfluencedbyideologiesthatjustifyandsanction
violencecommonlypropagatedbyIslamicterroristmovementsoverseas.
InadditiontodisagreementswithperceivedAmericanactionsagainstMuslimsaroundthe
world,theseextremistsbelievethattheWest(andAmericaspecifically)isatwarwithIslamandit
isthedutyofMuslimstodefendtheglobalMuslimcommunitythroughviolentmeans.Theycome
fromdiversebackgroundsand,asawhole,donoteasilyfitaspecificprofile.Aboutonefourthare
convertstoIslamwhoembracethemostextremeinterpretationsofthereligion.
ThemostcommontargetsintheU.S.havebeenmilitaryinstallations,majorlandmarks,
transitsystemsandJewishorIsraeliinstitutions.Infact,hatredofJewsandIsraelhasplayedan
alarmingroleintheradicalizationprocessofmanyofthesesamehomegrownextremists.
Althoughmostindividualsorgroupslackthemeansandmaterialstocarryoutviolent
attacks–plotshavebeenfoiledbylawenforcementatvariousstages–theycontinueto
demonstrateawillingnesstoconductattacksintheU.S.
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Influenced by Terrorists Overseas
Thepastthreeyearshavebeenmarkedbyanincreaseinthenumberofplotsandconspiraciesby
homegrownMuslimextremists,aswellasinthenumberofAmericansattemptingtotravelabroadtotrain
andfightwithterroristgroups.ThelatterraisesseriousconcernsaboutextremistsusingtheirAmerican
passportstoreturntotheU.S.inordertocarryoutattacksonU.S.soil.
Indeed,thefailedattempttobombNewYork'sTimesSquarein2010,aswellasthefoiledplotto
detonatehomemadeexplosivesonNewYorkCitysubwaysin2009,wereconceivedbyAmericanswho
receivedtrainingfromterroristgroupsoverseasbeforereturningtotheU.S.tocarryouttheattacks.
Approximately30U.S.residentshaveattemptedtoorsuccessfullytraveledtoSomaliatojoinAl
Shabaab,anAlQaeda‐linkedterroristgroup,since2007toreceiveweaponstrainingalongsiderecruits
fromothercountries.Severalothershaveprovidedmaterialsupportforthegroupthroughtheir
recruitmentandfundraisingefforts.
A27‐year‐oldrecruitfromMinneapolis,FarahMohamadBeledi,wasoneoftwosuicidebombers
whoattackedamilitarybaseintheSomalicapitalMogadishuonMay30,2011,accordingtotheFBI.A
portionoftheAlShabaabaudiostatementclaimingresponsibilityfortheattackfeaturedBeledisaying,"I
havebeenamemberofAlShabaabfortwoyears.IamfromMinnesota,USA,"and"Iamsohappytoturn
mybodyintoshrapnelfortheinfidels."BelediisthesecondconfirmedAmericansuicidebomber.Thefirst,
ShirwaAhmed,carriedoutasuicidebombingonbehalfofAlShabaabattheEthiopianConsulateandthe
presidentialpalaceinHargeisakilling24peopleinOctober2009.
ForeignterroristorganizationshavealsoappealedtoWesternaudiencesthroughEnglish‐language
propagandadistributedonavarietyofonlineplatforms,includingmaterialsspecificallydesignedtorecruit
followersandsanctionviolence.
TheabilityofforeignterroristgroupstomotivateAmericanstojointheircauseisnotlimitedtothe
InternetortoAlQaeda‐affiliatedgroupsproducingpropagandatargetingwesterners.Forexample,David
ColemanHeadley,ofChicago,pleadedguiltytohelpingplananumberofterroristattacks,includingaseries
ofcoordinatedattacksinNovember2008thatkilledmorethan170peopleinMumbai.Headleyconducted
reconnaissanceofanumberofthetargetedlocationsforLashkar‐e‐Taiba(LET),thePakistani‐based
Islamicterroristorganization.SeveralotherAmericancitizenshavebeenchargedwithprovidingmaterial
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supporttoLET.
On-line Propaganda Encourages Terror
ManyAmericanextremistshavebeeninfluencedbyEnglish‐languageterroristpropagandaand
recruitmentmaterialsonWebsites,forums,blogs,socialnetworkingsites,video‐hostingsitesandother
onlineplatforms.ThesematerialsarefilledwithcolloquialWesternreferencesandpracticaladvice
designedspecificallyforanAmericanaudience.
OmarHammami,anAlabamanativewhohasbecomethepublicfaceandvoiceofAlShabaab,has
appearedinseveralvideosurgingforeigners"tocomeandlivethelifeofamujahid."InaMarch2009
video,Hammamipraisedakilledfighterasamartyrandsaid,"Weneedmorelikehim,soifyoucan
encouragemoreofyourchildrenandmoreofyourneighborsandanyonearoundyoutosendpeoplelike
himtothisjihad,itwouldbeagreatassetforus."
Inaddition,themediawingofAlQaedaintheArabianPeninsula(AQAP),AlQaeda'saffiliatein
YemenandSaudiArabia,hasdeliberatelydesignedaportionofitspropagandatoappealto,engageand
recruitsympathizersintheU.S.SinceJuly2010,AQAPhasreleasedseveralissuesofitsonlineEnglish‐
languagemagazineInspire,whichemploysaccessibleWesternreferencesandcolorfulgraphicsinitscalls
toinflictmasscasualties.AQAP,whichhasinstructedreadersto"fightjihadonU.S.soil,"encourages
participationintheproductionofthemagazine,askingreaderstocontributearticles,quotesandimages.
OnerecurringsectioninInspire,entitled"OpenSourceJihad,"providesaresourcemanualfor
"Muslimstotrainathomeinsteadofriskingadangeroustravelabroad"andproposesseveralwaystowage
"individualjihad"thatinflictsmasscasualtiesandeconomiclosses."Westronglyencourageourbrothersto
fightjihadonU.S.soil,"theauthorwrites."Tokillasnake,strikeitshead."TheOctober2010issueincluded
apictureoftheChicagoskyline,perhapsforeshadowingtheterrorplotagainstChicago‐areasynagogueson
October29,forwhichAQAPclaimedresponsibility.
MohamedOsmanMohamud,whowasarrestedinNovember2010forattemptingtoblowupa
ChristmastreelightingwithacarbombinPortland,Oregon,submittedanarticletoInspire(itwasnot
published)aswellastoanotherEnglishlanguageonlineterrormagazinecalledJihadRecollections.
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Influence of Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwaral‐AwlakiisamongagrowingchorusofAmericansresidingabroadwhousetheironline
pulpitstoreachandinfluenceaudiencesintheU.S.byrepackagingideologiesofextremeintoleranceand
violenceintodigestiblesoundbites.
Oneindicationofal‐Awlaki'swidespreadinfluenceisthenumberofextremiststhathavebeen
foundinpossessionofhismaterials.Thelistincludesmanyofthosearrestedin2010,amongthemAntonio
Martinez,aMarylandmanarrestedforattemptingtodetonatewhathebelievedtobeacarbombata
MarylandarmyrecruitingcenterinDecember;AhmedFarooque,aVirginiamanwhowasarrestedin
OctoberforallegedlyplottingattacksagainstMetrostationsintheWashingtonMetropolitanAreaand
BarryWalterBujol,Jr.,aTexasresidentarrestedforattemptingtodelivermoneyandotherequipmentto
AQAP.
Anwaral‐Awlaki'smassappealhasalsoresultedinhistakingapublicrolewithAlQaedainthe
ArabianPeninsula(AQAP),AlQaeda'saffiliateinYemenandSaudiArabiathathasdeliberatelydesigneda
portionofitspropagandatoappealto,engageandrecruitsympathizersintheU.S.
Manyothershavebeeninfluencedbyal‐Awlakiaswell,mostnotablyNidalMalikHasan,who
allegedlykilled13peopleattheFortHoodarmybaseafterexchangingemailswithal‐Awlaki.Theshooting
atFortHoodfollowedaseparateincidentinJune2009whenAbdulhakimMujahidMuhammadallegedly
shottwouniformedAmericansoldiers,killingoneofthem,atamilitaryrecruitingcenterinArkansas.
WhilemostoftheplotsintheU.S.havebeenfoiledbylawenforcementbeforetheywerecarried
out,theFortHoodandArkansasattacksdemonstratetheparticulardangerposedbyso‐called"lonewolf"
extremistswho,thoughunaffiliatedwithterroristgroups,sharetheirradicalinterpretationsofIslamand
ideologicalgoals.
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ADL’s Role in Fighting Islamic Extremism
AspartofitsongoingefforttocombatIslamicextremism,ADLhas:

Issuedreportsdetailingthegrowingandincreasinglydangerousdomesticterrorthreatposedby
AmericanMuslimextremists,whichhasbeenveryhelpfultolawenforcementaswellasCongress
inhearingsheldtoassesscurrentthreats.

SharedanalysisandresourceswithRep.PeterT.King(R‐NY),ChairmanoftheHouseCommitteeon
HomelandSecurity,andothercommitteemembersonhowhomegrownextremistsareinfluenced
byterroristpropagandaandrecruitmentmaterialsonvariousonlineplatforms.

DistributedTerrorismUpdate,anonlinepublicationthatdetailstrendsindomesticterrorism.

Providedtrainingtolawenforcementofficersaroundthecountry.

Sharedactionableintelligencewithlawenforcementagencies.

AssistedinanFBIinvestigationintoZacharyAdamChesser,arrestedinJulyforprovidingmaterial
supporttoanAlQaeda‐linkedterroristgroup,communicatingthreatsandseekingtoincitecrimes
ofviolence.ADLhadbeentrackingChesser'sextensiveonlineactivitysince2009.

ReceivedcommendationfromFBIDirectorforassistanceinpreventingaterroristplottoblowupa
courthouse.

Citedbynationalandinternationalmedia,includingTheNewYorkTimes,WashingtonPost,Wall
StreetJournal,LosAngelesTimes,ChicagoTribune,CNN,FOXNews,ABCNewsandtheBBC.

ProvidedtheLibraryofCongress'sCongressionalResearchServiceextensiveinformationforits
report,"AmericanJihadistTerrorism:CombatingaComplexThreat,"releasedinSeptember2010.
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