HomegrownJihadistTerrorism in the United States: A New and Occasional Phenomenon?

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

Abstract Over the last few years, much attention has been devoted to the phenomenon of homegrown jihadist networks in the West. Most analyses have been based on the dual assumption that this phenomenon has manifested itself only extremely recently and that it is largely limited to Europe. While these two assertions are not completely unfounded, they do not take into consideration significant anecdotal evidence pointing to a long history of homegrown networks inspired by radical Islam operating within the United States. After an extensive overview of such history, the article analyzes the phenomenon of radicalization in America in comparison to Europe and the evolution of U.S. authorities' reaction to it. Notes 1. “The 38 Hours: Trial by Terror,” Time, 21 March 1977. 2. Mattias Gardell, In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1996), p. 189. 3. Ira Silverman, “An American Terrorist,” The New Yorker, 5 August 2002. 4. Ibid. 5. Manning Marable, Race, Reform and Rebellion: The Second Reconstruction in Black America, 1945–1982 (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1984), p. 178. 6. Dietmar Loch, “Boyhood of a Terror Suspect,” Guardian, 11 October 1995. 7. For an official account on the links between the 7/7 bombers and Al Qaeda, see: House of Commons, Report of the Official Account of the Bombings in London on 7th July 2005. 8. Robert Dannin, Black Pilgrimage to Islam (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), pp. 26–31. 9. Edward E. Curtis, Islam in Black America (Albany: State University of New York University Press, 2002), pp. 63–84. 10. Richard Brent Turner, Islam in the African American Experience (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997); Aminah Beverly McCloud, African American Islam (New York: Routledge, 1995), p. 28. 11. Curtis, Islam in Black America, pp. 2–20. 12. Ikhwan in America, Government Exhibit 003-0089 in United States v. Holy Land Foundation et al., 3:04-cr-240 (ND, Tex.). 13. Curtis, Islam in Black America. 14. Betty Shabazz, in Clifton E. Marsh, From Black Muslims to Muslims: The Transition from Separatism to Islam, 1930–1980 (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1984), p. 82. 15. Yaroslav Trofimov, The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam's Holiest Shrine and the Birth of al-Qaeda (New York: Doubleday, 2007), pp. 36–37. 16. Ibid., p. 64. 17. David E. Kaplan, “Hundreds of Americans have Followed the Path to Jihad. Here's How and Why,” U.S. News and World Report, 2 June 2002. 18. U.S. Department of State, Patterns of Global Terrorism (1999), p. 120; Yehudit Barsky, Al Fuqra: Holy Warriors of Terrorism, special report by the Anti-Defamation League, 1993. 19. Steven Emerson, Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the US (Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 2006), pp. 274–275. 20. Patterns of Global Terrorism; see also Sean Webby and Brandon Bailey, “The Mysterious Saga of Sister Khadijah,” San Jose Mercury News, 11 February 2007. 21. Patterns of Global Terrorism. 22. Patterns of Global Terrorism; Barsky, Al Fuqra. 23. Information Regarding Colorado's Investigation and Prosecution of Members of Jamaat Ul Fuqra, Attorney General's Office, Colorado Department of Law, available at http://www.ago.state.co.us/pr/121001_link.cfm 24. Department of Homeland Security, Intergrated Planning Guidance, January 2005, p. 11. 25. Attorney General Salazar Announces 69 Year Sentence for “Fuqra” Defendant Convicted of Racketeering and Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Attorney General's Office, Colorado Department of Law, available at http://www.ago.state.co.us/press_detail.cfm?pressID=503 26. U.S. v. Usama bin Laden et al., U.S.D.C. Southern District of New York, S(7) 98 Cr. 1023, 15 February 2001, pp. 790–798; Oriana Zill, “A Portrait of Wadih el Hage, Accused Terrorist,” PBS Frontline, 12 September 2001. 27. U.S. v. Omar Ahmed Ali Abdel Rahman, U.S.D.C. Southern District of New York, S5 93 CR 181, Indictment, 19 October 1994. 28. The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States (New York: Norton, 2004), p. 58. 29. Kaplan, “Hundreds of Americans have Followed the Path to Jihad.” 30. Ibid. 31. U.S. v. John Lindh, U.S.D.C. for the Eastern District of Virginia, Plea Agreement, 15 July 2002. 32. U.S. v. John Lindh, U.S.D.C. for the Eastern District of Virginia, Criminal No. 02-37-A, 17 June 2002. 33. U.S. v. Christopher Paul, U.S. District Court, Columbus, Ohio, 11 April 2007. 34. David Rohde, James Risen, “Missing New Jersey Man's Name Turns up in Kabul,” New York Times, 6 February 2002. 35. U.S. v. Adham Amin Hassoun et al., U.S.D.C. Southern District of Florida, 04-60001-CR-Cooke, Indictment, 17 November 2005. 36. Summary of Jose Padilla's Activities with al Qaeda, Department of Defense Memorandum, 28 May 2004; Declaration of Jeffrey N. Rapp, Director of the Joint Intelligence Task Force for Combating Terrorism, filed in the Padilla case, 30 August 2004. 37. “Jose Padilla and Co-Defendants Sentenced on Terrorism Charges,” Department of Justice press release, 22 January 2008. 38. U.S. v. Adham Amin Hassoun et al. 39. Aukai Collins, My Jihad (New York: Pocket Star Books, 2002). 40. U.S. v. Adham Amin Hassoun et al. 41. Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005, unclassified report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, available at http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.htm 42. Ibid. 43. Ibid. 44. U.S. v. Royer et al., 03-CR-296, indictment, Eastern District of Virginia, 25 June 2003; Defendants Convicted in Northern Virginia Jihad Trial, Department of Justice press release, 4 March 2004. 45. U.S. v. Tarik Ibn Osman Shah and Rafiq Sabir, Criminal Complaint, U.S.D.C. for the Southern District of New York, 27 May 2005. 46. “Bronx Martial Arts Instructor Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Support al Qaeda,” U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York press release, 4 April 2007; “Florida Doctor Sentenced to 25 Years for Conspiring and Attempting to Support al Qaeda,” U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York press release, 28 November 2007. 47. Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005; U.S. v. Ahmed Abu Ali, U.S.D.C. for the Eastern District of Virginia, Indictment, 3 February 2005. 48. Daily Press Briefing of State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack, 4 April 2007; Raymond Bonner, “New Jersey Man Who Fled Somalia Ends Up in an Ethiopian Jail,” New York Times, 23 March 2007; Jonathan S. Landay, “U.S. Citizen is Said to Have Admitted al-Qaida Link,” McClatchy Newspapers, 25 March 2007. 49. Affidavit of FBI Special Agent Jeremiah A. George in U.S. v. Daniel Joseph Maldonado, U.S.D.C. Southern District of Texas, H-07-125M, 13 February 2007. 50. Report by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt, New York Police Department Intelligence Division, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat, August 2007; Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005; U.S. v. Syed Hashmi, U.S.D.C. Southern District of New York, 06-CRIM-442, 24 May 2006; Jon Gilbert, “The Supergrass I Helped to Create,” Times of London, 3 May 2007; Alison Gendar, Angie Wallace, and Celeste Katz, “Disturbing Signs Early for a Zealot,” New York Daily News, 10 June 2006. 51. U.S. v. Earnest James Ujaama, U.S.D.C. Western District of Washington, CR02-0283R, Plea Agreement, 14 April 2003; Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005. 52. Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal: Majid Khan, Department of Defense, Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants, 28 March 2007; Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal: Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, Department of Defense, Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants, date unknown; Eric Rich and Dan Eggen, “From Baltimore Suburbs to a Secret CIA Prison,” Washington Post, 10 September 2006; Katherine Shrader, “An Immigrant's Journey from Maryland to Gitmo,” Associated Press, 22 March 2007. 53. Report by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt, New York Police Department Intelligence Division, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat, August 2007, pp. 66–73. 54. Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005. 55. Two Plead Guilty to Domestic Terrorism Charges of Conspiring to Attack Military Facilities, Jewish Targets, U.S. Department of Justice press release, 14 December 2007, available at http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/December/07_nsd_1006.html 56. U.S. v. Narseal Batiste, U.S.D.C. Southern District of Florida, 06-20373, 22 June 2006. 57. Doug Simpson, “Father of Man Accused as Ringleader in Terrorism Plot Can't Explain Arrest,” Associated Press, 24 June 2006. 58. Toby Harnden, “Sect Inspired ‘Leader of Sears Tower Plot,’” Sunday Telegraph, 25 June 2006. 59. U.S. v. Narseal Batiste. 60. Attack Foiled: Undercover Probe Busts Terror Plot, FBI press release, 8 May 2007, available at http://www.fbi.gov/page2/may07/ftdix050807.htm 61. Six Individuals Charged with Plotting to Murder U.S. Soldiers at New Jersey Military Base, U.S. Department of Justice press release, 8 May 2007, available at http://newark.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2007/nk050807.htm 62. Anthony Faiola and Dale Russakoff, “The Terrorists Next Door?” Washington Post, 10 May 2007. 63. Raffi Khatchadourian, “Azzam the American: The Making of an Al Qaeda Homegrown,” New Yorker, 22 January 2007. 64. US v. Grecula, U.S.D.C. Southern District of Texas, H-05-257-S, 8 August 2006. 65. Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005. 66. Shannen Rossmiller, “My Cyber Counter-Jihad,” Middle East Quarterly XIV(3) (Summer 2007). 67. United States of America, Department of the Army vs. Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, Fort Lewis, Army Base, Washington State; Rossmiller, “My Cyber Counter-Jihad.” 68. U.S. v. Hassan Abujihaad, U.S. District Court of Connecticut, 3:07CR57(MRK), 7 March 2007. 69. Motion in Limine in U.S. v. Hassan Abujihaad, U.S. District Court of Connecticut, 3:07CR57(MRK), 19 October 2007. 70. Affidavit of FBI Special Agent Jarred Ruddy in U.S. v. Derrick Shareef, U.S.D.C. Northern District of Illinois. 71. Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, People of the State of New York vs. Rashid Baz, Part 31/56, 1872-94, Sentence, 18 January 1995, 24, pp. 17–21; Mahmoud Habboush, “Killer's Daughter Admits it was Political,” New York Daily News, 16 February 2007; Terrorism in the United States, 2002–2005. 72. Scott Gutierrez, “Suspect in Jewish Federation Shootings Recently Baptized,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 31 July 2006. 73. Seattle Police Department, Certification for Determination of Probable Cause in the case of Naveed Haq, 28 July 2006. 74. State of North Carolina v. Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, 06-CRS-51275, 1 May 2006. 75. Text of Taheri-azar's letter, as published in “Taheri-azar Writes to Eyewitness News,” ABC 11 Durham, 14 March 2006. 76. For the attitudes of the U.S. government toward Al Qaeda and the jihadist threat pre-9/11, see, for example, the 9/11 Commission Report, particularly pp. 339–360. 77. Remarks of FBI Director Robert Muller, City Club of Cleveland, 23 June 2006. 78. Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream, Pew Research Center, 22 May 2007, pp. 24–25. 79. Steven Simon, Statement before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 12 September 2006. 80. Radicalization in the West, p. 8. 81. Bruce Hoffman, “The Use of the Internet by Islamic Extremists,” Testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 4 May 2006. 82. Extensive monitoring of the site conducted by the author between 2005 and 2006. 83. U.S. v. Ahmed (N.D. GA.), No 1:06-CR-147-CC, 19 July 2006. 84. Ibid. 85. U.S. v. Ehsanul Islam Sadeque, U.S.D.C. Eastern District of New York, M-06-335, Affidavit of FBI Special Agent Michael Scherck in Support of Arrest Warrant, 28 March 2006. 86. Interview with top FBI official, Boston, March 2007. 87. Ibid. 88. See, for example, the significant attention devoted to the issue by the National Strategy for Homeland Security, Homeland Security Council, October 2007; the bill for the formation of such Commission was introduced by Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) in April 2007.