The Department of Homeland Security warned Wednesday of the potential for a domestic terrorist attack in the next six months, particularly by extremists who hold “grievances” against the Democratic or Republican parties.
“In the coming months, DHS expects the threat environment to remain heightened and that individuals may be motivated to violence by perceptions of the 2024 general election cycle and legislative or judicial decisions pertaining to sociopolitical issues,” the DHS said in a terrorism advisory bulletin Wednesday.
“U.S. critical infrastructure, faith-based institutions, individuals or events associated with the LGBTQIA+ community, schools, racial and ethnic minorities, and government facilities and personnel are likely targets of potential violence.”
The federal government named lone offenders and small groups who are motivated by a range of ideological beliefs, even “personal grievances,” as posing a “persistent threat to the United States.”
“Both domestic violent extremists (DVEs) and those associated with foreign terrorist organizations continue to attempt to motivate supporters to conduct attacks, including through violent extremist messaging and online calls for violence,” the bulletin stated.
The “heightened threat environment” declaration is a continuation of the heightened concern status that the U.S. has been under for years.
The status will last six months, when a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) bulletin will be issued.
“Recent tragic events highlight the continued heightened threat environment our nation faces, and these threats are driven by violent extremists who seek to further their ideological beliefs and personal grievances,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a statement.
The DHS touted the steps it has taken to boost security and harden at-risk buildings over the past couple of years.
“We are working with partners across every level of government, within the private sector, and in local communities to keep Americans safe,” Mayorkas said.
“We will continue to share information and intelligence, equip communities with training and resources, and fund security enhancement and prevention efforts through millions of dollars in grant funding.”
It was under former President Donald Trump that the department first declared white supremacy extremists as a leading national security concern….
The following year, DHS published a study that concluded white supremacists in the U.S. represented the “most persistent and lethal threat” of violent domestic extremists while China and Russia posed serious foreign concerns.
Source: Washington Examiner
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