Many domestic terrorists rely on the concept of leaderless resistance. Domestic terrorists-much like their jihadist analogues-are often Internet and social-media savvy and use such platforms to share ideas and as resources for their operations.ĭecentralized Nature of the Threat. They have been known to engage in activities such as vandalism, trespassing, and tax fraud, for example.Įxploitation of the Internet. A large number of domestic terrorists do not necessarily use tactics such as suicide bombings or airplane hijackings. Domestic terrorists have been responsible for orchestrating numerous incidents since 9/11. This report is intended as a primer on the issue, and four discussion topics in it may help explain domestic terrorism’s relevance for policymakers: Signed into law in November 2006, it amended the Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992 (P.L. 109-374) expands the federal government’s legal authority to combat animal rights extremists who engage in criminal activity. The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (P.L.

This boundary is highlighted by a number of criminal cases involving supporters of animal rights-one area in which specific legislation related to domestic terrorism has been crafted. The boundary between constitutionally protected legitimate protest and domestic terrorist activity has received public attention. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) do not officially designate domestic terrorist organizations, but they have openly delineated domestic terrorist “threats.” These include individuals who commit crimes in the name of ideologies supporting animal rights, environmental rights, anarchism, white supremacy, anti-government ideals, black separatism, and beliefs about abortion. Not all of these criminals have been prosecuted under federal terrorism statutes, which does not imply that domestic terrorists are taken any less seriously than other terrorists. However, in the last decade, domestic terrorists-people who commit crimes within the homeland and draw inspiration from U.S.-based extremist ideologies and movements-have killed American citizens and damaged property across the country. The emphasis of counterterrorism policy in the United States since Al Qaeda’s attacks of Septem(9/11) has been on jihadist terrorism.

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