NATIONAL NEWS

Biden Administration Pushes Plan To Combat Domestic Terror

Jun 15, 2021, 5:22 AM
FILE (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)...
FILE (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says it will enhance its analysis of threats from domestic terrorists, including the sharing of intelligence within law enforcement agencies, and will work with tech companies to eliminate terrorist content online as part of a nationwide strategy to combat domestic terrorism.

The National Security Council on Tuesday released the strategy plan, which comes more than six months after a mob of insurgents loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win.

“Domestic terrorism — driven by hate, bigotry, and other forms of extremism — is a stain on the soul of America,” Biden, who’s traveling in Europe, said in a statement. “It goes against everything our country strives for and it poses a direct challenge to our national security, democracy, and unity.”

A report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found that domestic violent extremists posed an increased threat in 2021, with white supremacist groups and anti-government militias posing the highest risk, officials said.

The new strategy includes enhancing the government’s analysis of domestic terrorism and improving the information that is shared between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Administration officials said the Justice Department had also implemented a new system to “methodically track” domestic terrorism cases nationwide within the FBI.

The Justice Department was also evaluating whether the administration should recommend Congress pass a specific domestic terrorism law, which does not currently exist. In the absence of domestic terrorism laws, the Justice Department relies on other statutes to prosecute ideologically motivated violence by people with no international ties.

But that has made it harder to track how often extremists driven by religious, racial or anti-government bias commit violence in the U.S and complicates efforts to develop a universally accepted domestic terror definition. Opponents of domestic terrorism laws say prosecutors already have enough tools.

The government’s new plan also includes an effort to identify government employees who may pose a domestic terrorism threat, with a number of federal agencies working on new policies and programs to root out potential domestic extremists in law enforcement and in the military.

A senior administration official said the Office of Personnel Management was considering updating forms to assist in improving screening and vetting of government employees to make sure people who could pose a threat are identified before being put in sensitive roles. The official spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity to detail the internal tools.

Officials said the Justice Department had also formally made domestic terrorism a top priority and had been reallocating resources at U.S. attorneys’ offices and at FBI field offices across the U.S. to combat the threat from domestic extremists. The Justice Department’s proposed budget for next year includes $100 million in additional resources related to domestic terrorism to be used for analysts, investigators and prosecutors.

The U.S. and four other countries joined onto an effort to stop extremist violence from spreading online. The effort, known as the Christchurch Call, involves some 50 nations plus tech companies including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon, and is named for the New Zealand city where the slaughter at the two mosques took place.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

National News

Scammer holds smartphone, cracks two-factor authentication, steals money online...
Sean Lyngaas

US bans government agencies from using spyware ‘operationally’ as national security concerns grow

President Biden on Monday issued an executive order banning US government agencies from using invasive commercial hacking tools.
12 hours ago
A gunman carried out an "active shooter event" at the Covenant School, a private Christian elementa...
Jonathan Mattise

3 children, 3 adults fatally shot at Nashville grade school

A person carried out an "active shooter event" at the Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville.
12 hours ago
Seven are dead after an explosion at a candy factory in West Reading, officials say. (WPVI via CNN)...
Associated Press

All 7 Pennsylvania chocolate factory explosion victims found

All seven bodies have been recovered from the site of a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, officials said.
12 hours ago
Four dead, several injured, others unaccounted for after an explosion at a candy factory in West Re...
Sara Smart, Samantha Beech, Zoe Sottile and Dakin Andone

Pennsylvania candy factory explosion death toll climbs to 4, hope of finding survivors wanes

A fourth person has been confirmed dead in an explosion at an eastern Pennsylvania candy factory.
1 day ago
Police warn about overdoses due to laced or counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl. (Used by permiss...
Tony Garcia

Tennessee corrections officer exposed to fentanyl during inmate altercation

An inmate at the Franklin County jail is facing several more charges after she intentionally exposed a corrections officer to fentanyl on Saturday.
1 day ago
Tornado cuts through small Delta town in Rolling Fork...
Nouran Salahieh, Haley Brink, Holly Yan and Melissa Alonso, CNN

30 million Southerners are at risk of dangerous weather Sunday — just after tornadoes and storms killed 26 people

After a rash of violent storms killed 26 people in the South, some of the same areas will get hammered again by a new round of storms Sunday.
1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...
PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.
Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
Biden Administration Pushes Plan To Combat Domestic Terror