DHS unveils terrorism, targeted violence strategy

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan recently unveiled the agency’s plan to address terrorism and targeted violence during an event co-hosted by the Heritage Foundation.

The DHS Strategic Framework for Combating Terrorism and Targeted Violence at the Brookings Institution offers a vision to expands the counterterrorism mission to face modern threats by implementing whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches. It is designed to support the White House’s 2017 National Security Strategy.

“Today, the United States faces an evolving threat environment and a threat of terrorism and targeted violence within our borders that is more diverse than at any time since the 9/11 attacks,” McAleenan said. “While the threat posed by foreign terrorist organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda persists, we are acutely aware of the growing threat from enemies, both foreign and domestic, who seek to incite violence in our Nation’s youth, disenfranchised and disaffected, in order to attack their fellow citizens and fray at the seams of our diverse social fabric.”

McAleenan said the awareness has galvanized DHS to expand its counterterrorism mission focus beyond terrorists operating abroad to include those radicalized to violence within our borders by violent extremists of any ideology.

Strategy goals include understanding the evolving terrorism and targeted violence threat environment while supporting partners in the homeland security enterprise through this specialized knowledge; preventing terrorists from entering the United States, and deny them the opportunity to exploit the Nation’s trade, immigration, and domestic and international travel systems; and bolstering infrastructure protections and community preparedness.