Islamic extremism in the United States comprises all forms of Islamic extremism occurring within the United States . Islamic extremism is an adherence to fundamentalist interpretations of Islam , potentially including the promotion of violence to achieve political goals .[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks , Islamic extremism became a prioritized national security concern of the U.S. government and a focus of many subsidiary security and law enforcement entities.[ 3] [ 4] Initially, the focus of concern was on foreign Islamic terrorist organizations , particularly al-Qaeda , but in the course of the years since the September 11 terror attacks, the focus has shifted more towards Islamic extremist radicalized individuals and jihadist networks within the United States.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
For nearly two decades, counter-terrorism was America's foremost defense and national security priority.[ 4] Since the release of the Trump administration 's National Defense Strategy in 2018, counter-terrorism is no longer considered the preeminent U.S. national security concern, despite terrorism remaining an enduring threat.[ 4] Although the number of U.S. citizens or long-term residents involved in extremist activity is small, their recruitment and participation in criminal activities organized by Islamic terrorist groups on U.S. territory is still considered a national security concern by U.S. authorities.[ 2] [ 3] [ 6]
^ Hamming, Tore (October–November 2023). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "The Beginning of a New Wave? The Hamas-Israel War and the Terror Threat in the West" (PDF) . CTC Sentinel . 16 (10). West Point, New York : Combating Terrorism Center : 27–33. Retrieved 6 December 2023 .
^ a b c Gonzales, Daniel (2022). "It's Getting Harder to Do: Countering Terrorist Use of the Internet". In Larres, Klaus; Hof, Tobias (eds.). Terrorism and Transatlantic Relations: Threats and Challenges . Security, Conflict, and Cooperation in the Contemporary World (SCCCW). Cham, Switzerland : Palgrave Macmillan . pp. 165–190. doi :10.1007/978-3-030-83347-3_8 . ISBN 978-3-030-83347-3 . S2CID 244757861 .
^ a b c d Marcus, Raphael D. (21 September 2022). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "The Islamic State Crime-Terror Nexus in the United States: Developments and Wider Relevance" (PDF) . CTC Sentinel . 15 (9). West Point, New York : Combating Terrorism Center : 1–12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022 .
^ a b c d Hoffman, Bruce; Ware, Jacob (November–December 2022). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "The Terrorist Threats and Trends to Watch Out for in 2023 and Beyond" (PDF) . CTC Sentinel . 15 (11). West Point, New York : Combating Terrorism Center : 1–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023 .
^ Hamilton, Lee (2011-09-08). "The Attacks of September 11th: Where We Are Today" (PDF) . U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security . p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2011-11-13 .
^ Bergen, Peter; Bruce Hoffman (2010-09-10). "Assessing the Terrorist Threat: A Report of the Bipartisan Policy Center's National Security Preparedness Group" (PDF) . Bipartisan Policy Center : 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2011-11-12 .