International terrorism is a lesser threat to America than homegrown violent extremism, said Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst, at a public lecture Thursday.
Bergen, a seasoned foreign policy and security expert who even interviewed Osama Bin Laden, shared with the audience a few concerns he had about the future of international terrorism. Particularly, he noted concerns about the threat of terror troops using armed drones, which could be used in a potential attack against U.S. embassies which lack defenses against drone strikes.
In addition, Bergen stated the incidence of international terror attacks on U.S. soil post-9/11 was much lower than predicted. He cited increases in U.S. security measures, intelligence, and offenses against foreign terror groups as having significantly decreased the ability of terrorists abroad to successfully attack U.S. soil.
“The prognosis for ISIS is not good,” he said.
“The problem we have is basically homegrown: American citizens,” Bergen said, citing data that four-fifths of the 360 people “involved in Jihadist terrorist crimes” were American citizens or legal residents.
Among the individuals involved in such acts, Bergen said he found that “there is often some personal grievance or set of grievances” the person simply cannot let go of and that “the idea of trying to become a hero” is also often a motivating factor.
Bergen also spoke about “five big drivers that are going to produce the son of ISIS or grandson of ISIS.”
These five big drivers included: the massive wave of Arab immigration to Europe, the lack of Muslim integration in Europe, the rise of ultranationalist parties in Europe, and the clash of Sunni and Shia forces as well as rivaling Arab governments, he explained.
Bergen said he does not see these five issues being solved anytime soon, yet he did have a few suggestions for the next commander-in-chief. Bergen stated that there should be a focus on counteracting jihadi propaganda both with technology, by using the electronic DNA system used to find and remove child porn, and with real life stories, by enlisting ISIS defectors to share their true experiences.
During the question-and-answer session, audience members asked Bergen about his opinions pertaining to the refugee crisis and current US immigration policy. Bergen reiterated his belief that “American citizens are the problem” in the case of homegrown terrorism.
Bergen is vice president of a think tank called New America and author of many books including his most recent, The United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists.
The lecture, sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, took place in Dodds Auditorium in Robertson Hall at 4:30 p.m.
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