Attorney General Eric Holder Revives Domestic Task Force to Combat 'Homegrown' Terrorists
In order to address the growing concern of domestic terrorism, Attorney General Eric H. Holder announced on Tuesday that the Justice Department is creating a task force to combat the "escalating danger from self-radicalized individuals within our own borders."
The domestic terrorism task force was originially established in 1995 after the Oklahoma City bombing to disclose information about domestic threats. It was scheduled to meet the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, which is when the country shifted its focus to fight terrorism overseas.
"But now, as the nature of the threat we face evolves to including the possibility of individual radicalization via the Internet, it is critical that we return our focus to potential extremists here at home," Holder said in a weekly video, according to NBC News.
The original task force focused on tracking right-wing zealots, however, Holder stated that the new task force will target U.S. citizens and visitors who become radicalized using the Internet.
According to a Congressional Research Service report released last year, domestic terrorists were responsible for more than two dozen incidents in the U.S. since 9/11, reports the LA Times. In the video, Holder cited the attacks at the 2013 Boston Marathon and the shootings at Fort Hood in 2009 and 2014 as examples of "the danger we face from these homegrown threats."
"Horrific terror incidents like the tragic shootings at Fort Hood and last year's Boston Marathon bombing demonstrate the danger we face from these homegrown threats," Holder says in the video.
"Now -- as the nature of the threat we face evolves to include the possibility of individual radicalization via the Internet -- it is critical that we return our focus to potential extremists here at home," he continues.
The task force, which is named the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, will be comprised of the Justice Department, the FBI and federal prosecutors. It will also coordinate with law enforcement across the nation to deliver information.