US intelligence agencies believe that domestic terrorism poses a “high threat” to the homeland in 2021, predicting in a new joint report that social and political factors, including the coronavirus pandemic and the Stimulating impact of the U.S. Capitol ‘s violent rape “spurred domestic violent extremists to continue violence.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released an unclassified summary of a joint assessment of the threat to national security posed by domestic violent extremism.
The full threat assessment provided by ODNI, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security in the White House and Congress was conducted under the direction of President Biden, who requested the report following the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.
The full classified report, described by an ODNI official as a “fact-based analysis” that can report on the development of strategies and policies, was sent Tuesday to the White House and Congress, according to an official. ODNI.
The report arrived the same day, DHS Secretary Alexander Mayorkas called domestic violent extremism the “biggest” and “most persistent” threat to the homeland.
“Recent socio-political developments, such as narratives about fraud in the last general election, the stimulating impact of the violent rape of the U.S. Capitol, conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and conspiracy theories that they promote violence, they will almost certainly provoke violent extremists) to try to exert violence this year, ”the unclassified summary says.
The report separates domestic violent extremists into different groups, including racially or ethnically motivated extremists, anti-government extremists, animal rights and environmental extremists, and abortion-related extremists.
Intelligence agencies found that racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists and violent militia extremists posed the “most lethal threats.” According to the unclassified summary, racially motivated extremists were determined to be most likely to provoke mass casualty attacks against civilians. In contrast, the threat assessment found that violent militia extremists often target law enforcement and government personnel and facilities.
White supremacists built support networks outside the United States in some cases, the unclassified summary revealed, adding that there are a “small number” who have traveled abroad to “connect with people with ideas. affins “.
Social media platforms, including smaller websites and encrypted chat applications, were identified as emerging tools for recruiting, planning, and disseminating materials that ultimately contribute to violent acts.
The assessment also noted that “lone criminals” or “small cells” of domestic violent extremists adhering to various ideologies are more likely to carry out violent attacks than organizations advocating a specific ideology.
Speaking to Congress on Tuesday, Mayorkas warned that lone wolf extremists who express “loose affiliation” to ideologies of hatred and extremism are “willing to execute them illegally, violently and illegally.”
The full classified assessment was coordinated between the intelligence community and law enforcement, according to an ODNI official, from governmental and non-governmental organizations as deemed appropriate.
House Intelligence President Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, stressed in a statement the “transnational element of the threat of domestic violent extremism.”
“The threat of white nationalism in particular has become a global phenomenon,” he said.
Schiff called Wednesday’s assessment a “good first step,” but urged intelligence agencies to publicly disclose additional details under the Congressional mandate, including “specific information on incidents, investigations, processes, analysis, prioritization.” , staff and resources “.
The full classified assessment was coordinated between the intelligence community and law enforcement, according to an ODNI official, from governmental and non-governmental organizations as deemed appropriate.
Olivia Gazis contributed to this report.