3/7/11 

Yesterday Deputy National Security Advisor Dennis McDonough outlined how concerns about domestic terrorism fit into the administration's broader counter-terrorism policy - and into a broader spectrum of outreach between American Muslims and their government. National security, counterterrorism and police experts have stressed that inclusion, outreach and focus on actions are the effective way to combat and prevent terrorism. Mr. McDonough's presentation comes ahead of hearings scheduled later this week by Peter King (R-NY), singling out the alleged susceptibility of Americans Muslim - and only Americans Muslim - to terrorism. Experts stress that King's approach will harm homeland security - and our national unity.

Administration presents approach to combating domestic terrorism. Yesterday Denis McDonough, who leads a policy committee on this issue, outlined the administration's approach to combating and preventing terrorism at home: "the best defense against terrorist ideologies is strong and resilient individuals and communities. This should be no surprise.  In America we have a long history of community-based initiatives and partnerships dealing successfully with a whole range of challenges, like violent crime."

He laid out the administration's broader approach:

"Preventing radicalization that leads to violence here in America is part of our larger strategy to decisively defeat al Qaeda. Overseas, because of the new focus and resources that the President has devoted to this fight, the al Qaeda leadership in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan is hunkered down and it's harder than ever for them to plot and launch attacks against our country.  Because we're helping other countries build their capacity to defend themselves, we're making it harder for al Qaeda's adherents to operate around the world.

"Here at home, we've strengthened our defenses, with improvements to intelligence and aviation screening and enhanced security at our borders, ports and airports.  As we've seen in recent attempted attacks, al Qaeda and its adherents are constantly trying to exploit any vulnerability in our open society.  But it's also clear that our dedicated intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security personnel have disrupted many more plots and saved many American lives.

"At the same time, we're confronting the broader challenge of violent extremism generally-including the political, economic and social forces that can sometimes lead people to embrace al Qaeda's murderous ideology.  This includes challenging and undermining the twisted ideology-the political propaganda-that al Qaeda uses to recruit, radicalize and mobilize its supporters to violence."  

McDonough closed with a simple message: "Put simply, we must do exactly what al Qaeda is trying to prevent. We must come together, as Americans, to protect our country in a spirit of respect, tolerance and partnership." [Denis McDonough, 3/6/11]

National security, counterterrorism and police experts agree: engagement, trust and communication, not profiling and demonization, are keys to combating terrorism.

Effective policing is based on trust and communication. William Bratton, who served as police chief in both New York and Los Angeles, says, "If we are going to prevent terrorism, radicalization from taking hold, we need to, one, know each other. We need to understand each other - police, government, Muslim community, the Muslim religion." Homeland security expert David Schanzer further explains: "Law enforcement officials occasionally receive information about a suspicious person from a fertilizer vendor or some other person in a position to observe potential terrorists. But authorities agree such tips are most likely to come from the community in which the homegrown terrorist lives." [William Bratton, 7/14/10. David Schanzer, 8/17/10]

9/11 Commission Chairmen: Profiling suspects based on religion over actions only overloads the system, harmful to security efforts. A report from the Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission this past fall pointed out the dangers - from a counterterrorism perspective - of profiling, saying that it overloads the "intelligence and law enforcement agencies, already over-stressed and inundated with information and leads." Ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee Rep. Bennie Thompson writes in Politico that, "Today's terrorists do not share a particular ethnic, educational or socioeconomic background." [Peter Bergen and Bruce Hoffman, 9/11 Commission Chairmen, 9/10/10.  Bennie Thompson, 1/27/11]

Engagement at all levels increases two-way conversation. Last summer homeland security expert David Schanzer explained how overall community engagement in the end increases security cooperation: "engagement has to be not really just with the law enforcement.  That's the tip of the spear in this issue.  But you know, public health, education, building roads, you know - those types of things are what's going to, you know, build a greater, kind of, fabric between the community and the government that can lead to the kinds of information exchanges that we're really, you know, hoping for in the long run." [David Schanzer, 7/14/11]

Experts stress that Rep. King's approach - singling out the Muslim community - is wrongheaded and hurts American security.  Peter Beinart wrote today that "King isn't holding hearings on domestic terrorism; he's holding hearings on domestic terrorism by one religious group. Is most American terrorism Muslim terrorism? Actually, no. Over the last decade or so, there's been at least as much domestic terrorism by folks like Timothy McVeigh, Theodore Kaczynski, Eric Rudolph (who bombed the 1996 Atlanta Olympics), Bruce Edwards Ivins (the main suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks), and most recently, Jared Lee Loughner. But even if American Muslims are statistically more likely to commit terrorism than non-Muslims, it is still wrong to define the problem in religious terms."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca recently disputed Rep. Peter King's (R-N.Y.) view that American Muslims are being uncooperative with law enforcement: "If he has evidence of non-cooperation, he should bring it forward... We have as much cooperation as we are capable of acquiring through public trust relationships... Muslim Americans in the county of Los Angeles have been overwhelmingly astounded by terrorist attacks -- like everyone else -- and overwhelmingly concerned about a non-repeat performance of that kind - and are willing to get involved and help." [Lee Baca, 2/7/11]

Juan Zarate, former White House counterterrorism adviser: The Washington Post reports: "National security experts ‘are holding their breath that it doesn't explode. I've heard that from people on all sides,' said Juan C. Zarate, a senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies who was security adviser to President George W. Bush... [he] said the hearings could do damage if they create a sense that there is a divide between Muslim organizations and mainstream America." [Washington Post, 2/28/11]

The New America Foundation's Brian Fishman: warned that the hearings could potentially play into al Qaeda's recruitment message: "In a March 2010 statement titled ‘A Call to Jihad,' [Anwar al] Awlaki argued darkly that ‘yesterday America was a land of slavery, segregation, lynching and Ku Klux Klan, and tomorrow it will be a land of religious discrimination and concentration camps. Don't be deceived by the promises of preserving your rights from a government that is right now killing your own brothers and sisters.... The West will eventually turn against its Muslim citizens!'" [Brian Fishman, 2/22/11]

[Peter Beinart, 3/6/11]

What We're Reading

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi launched airstrikes on the key oil town of Ras Lanuf, which was recently taken by rebels.

President Hamid Karzai has rejected American apologies over the deaths of nine Afghan boys in a helicopter attack.

Shiite protesters in Bahrain marched outside the U.S. embassy to ask for American support for their cause.

Egyptian protesters clashed with police over reports that documents from Hosni Mubarak's presidency were being destroyed.

North Korea has called for talks with the south to discuss the return of recent defectors.

Ireland's Fine Gael and Labour parties have agreed to form a coalition government.

Kosovo and Serbia will hold their first direct talks since Kosovo declared independence three years ago.

Rebels loyal to the Ivory Coast's internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara captured a town after a fierce battle.

The trial of U.S. contractor Alan Gross ended in Cuba.

Mexico has asked the U.S. for details on a law enforcement operation that allegedly allowed guns to be smuggled across the border.

Commentary of the Day

Matt Duss writes that the wave of popular uprisings sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East exposes the fundamental contradiction of the authoritarian regime in Iran.

Micah Zenko argues that establishing a no-fly zone over Libya will not be easy or painless.

Michael Spence says that oil price shocks spurred by Mideast events are unlikely to derail the U.S. economic recovery.

Lorenzo Vidino debunks five myths about the Muslim Brotherhood.