Terrorism has been a significant security threat in the United States for a very long period. Although a lot of attention is focused on international terrorist organizations, several domestic terrorist organizations have carried out attacks on the US soil, causing massive loss of property and life. Domestic terrorism is also referred to as homegrown terrorism, and it is a form of terrorism carried out by perpetrators with the same citizenship as the victims of the attack.
The ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and al-Qaeda are among the major international terrorist organizations that have posed as a security threat in the US. ISIS, which is mostly based in Syria and Iraq, has its branches spread across other countries, including North Africa, (Jasko, 2018). The group believes in an improved jihadist ideology known as Jihadi Salafism. This ideology believes in the physical jihadism and Salafi movement to return to what is "true" Sunni Islam. The doctrine is religious-political and a conservative type that wants to restore the traditional Sunni Islam principles. The modus operandi of the group involves taking responsibility for the attacks they make and use propaganda through video of people pledging allegiance to the group. The propaganda is aimed at creating an impression that the terrorist organization has powers to carry out similar attacks and has a considerable following. The most recent attack by the group is the Sri Lanka attack that was carried out by eight suicide bombers led to more than 250 people to lose their lives.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Al-Qaeda and its affiliate remain a threat to the United States. Although al-Qaeda may seem comparatively inferior to ISIS, it is a significant threat to the US since the US is its primary target while ISIS has put a lot of focus on Syria and other Islamic states. Al-Qaeda ideology is political-religious jihadism that aims at eliminating any foreign influence on Islamic countries. According to the organization, they believe that there is a Christian-Jewish alliance that aims at reducing Islam; thus, it is their responsibility to "fight" for Islam (Byman, 2015). The organization operates similar to ISIS, targeting mostly Islamic people as its affiliates. It claims responsibility for attacks and uses propaganda to demonstrate its following and ability to carry out deadly attacks.
There Aryan Nations (AN) and Alpha 66 are among the domestic terrorist organizations in the United States. There has been a rise in the internal terrorist attacks in the US, forcing the security agencies to concentrate on domestic terrorism threats. The Aryan Nations is a white nationalist neo-Nazi organization that was founded in the 1970s by Richard Butler of the Church of Jesus Christ-Christian. The FBI called it a terrorist organization, and the Rand also referred to it as a terrorist network with a nationwide influence, (FBI). The Aryan Nations was based on Christian Identity and believed that the white Aryans were the "chosen" people while the Jews are descendants of Devil and Africans are subhuman. The organization, through a splinter group known as the Order, carried several bank robberies in the US stilling more than $4 million. The Alpha 66 I a Cuban exile group that has carried out several attacks to Sabotage Fidel Castro's government.
There are differences between international terrorist organizations and domestic terrorist organizations. The international organizations are well organized, have a strategic plan, and are well funded to accomplish extensive scale attacks. Foreign terrorist organizations use sophisticated organizations to gather intelligence and coordinate attacks. Domestic terrorist groups don't have strong ideologies and are not well organized. They rely on social media to get affiliates who can then carry out personal attacks on behalf of the organizations.
References
"FBI – Using Intel Against Eco-Terrorists." Fbi.gov. June 30, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2018
Byman, D., (2015). Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the global jihadist movement: what everyone needs to know. What Everyone Needs To Know (R).
Jasko, K., Kruglanski, A. W., Hassan, A. S. R. B. & Gunaratna, R. (2018). ISIS: Its History, Ideology, and Psychology. Handbook of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Lives, 1-25.
