As Americans gather this weekend to celebrate July Fourth, we remember our nation’s birth and the brave men and women who fought for our independence. From the Founding Fathers to today’s veterans, countless individuals have risked their lives to protect and defend the United States.
With large celebrations across the country, this symbolic day is also a tempting target for terrorists who continually seek to attack us. As in past years, U.S. law enforcement and the intelligence community is on increased alert for a potential terrorist attack.
The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Counterterrorism Center have issued a bulletin that warns of potential terrorist threats against law enforcement officers and the military during this weekend. The bulletin serves as a general warning and does not mention any specific plots.
The U.S. is currently experiencing the most active period of domestic terrorist activity since 9/11. Law enforcement has foiled a total of nine terrorist plots already this year, including plots in Boston, New York City, and Morganton, N.C., last month.
In response, the FBI has increased its monitoring and surveillance efforts. While there are no known targets at this time, the agency has opened hundreds of investigations spread across all 50 states, with several arrests occurring just recently and more possible before July 4.
In particular, the Islamic State (ISIS) poses a serious threat to U.S. interests abroad and security at home. Beyond its quest for territory in the Middle East, ISIS is actively recruiting new followers through social media and hard-to-track technologies. In the U.S., its radical message resonates with terrorist converts and encourages them to take up arms.
The Founding Fathers fought a long war for independence, and it’s time to recognize that we are currently in a long, protracted conflict with Islamist terrorism.
To fight terrorism at home and abroad, the U.S. must:
- Support stronger action against Islamist terrorist groups abroad;
- Ensure that the FBI shares information more readily and regularly with state and local law enforcement and treats them as critical actors in the fight against terrorism;
- Designate an office in DHS to coordinate countering violent extremism (CVE) efforts;
- Support state, local, and civil society partners, who are in the best position to recognize and counter radicalization in their own communities;
- Maintain essential counterterrorism tools, including legitimate government surveillance programs; and
- Build up local cyber capabilities, especially in high-risk urban areas.
The U.S. needs to provide law enforcement officers with the tools they need to stop terrorists before they strike. In addition, America and her allies need to take more effective steps to undermine and ultimately defeat ISIS and terrorist groups around the world.
This July Fourth weekend is an opportunity for us to celebrate our proud heritage as Americans. Going forward, we also need to recognize that it will take a tremendous amount of strength—and dedication—to combat and end the threat of terrorism.
