This story indicates yet again that the problem of jihad terrorism is not one of race, but one of ideology. That ideology is being spread among Muslims in the United States. Because that is happening at religious sites and under religious auspices, are we not allowed to be concerned about it and defend ourselves against it? “AP Interview: FBI’s LA boss says homegrown terrorists top concern,” from AP, with thanks to Olivia:
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The FBI’s new regional chief says the threat of homegrown militants remains a top concern five months after authorities uncovered an alleged terrorism plot by Americans targeting synagogues and military recruiting centers around Los Angeles.
“What keeps me awake at night? A homegrown cell that has taken seed and grown,” J. Stephen Tidwell, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles field office, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. “That is one of the things that we fear the most.”
Three men – two of them U.S. born – were indicted last month on federal charges of conspiring to wage war against the government through terrorism for allegedly planning shooting rampages at the Los Angeles-area sites. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Tidwell said the homegrown threat has increased as terrorist groups have spread their ideology overseas through propaganda. He said one of the suicide bombers in the July attacks on London’s public transit system was a citizen who’d been radicalized in a year.
“Now, it’s an idea,” he said. “That’s why you’ve got radicalized homegrown entities picking up the sword … that gives us pause.”