Home Grown Terrorists:

Islamists, and Voices from the Past

NYPD Report, Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat

Recently, the NYPD released findings of a study they did on the process by which residents of a country, more particularly the U. S., become radicalized to the degree that they commit acts of violence against fellow citizens in answer to furtherance of a cause, in this case the Islamist cause.

The 90 page report is based on the NYPD study of numerous groups who have committed, or were in the planning stages of committing acts of mass murder within their own respective country of residence.  Some of the groups studied were active in European countries and some were in the U. S. 

The study seeks to define the process of radicalization within an individual that leads to committing such acts of violence.  The work is well done.  While it seeks to assist policy makers and police in their mission to identify and interrupt such acts, their work is interesting and useful to Practitioners who take responsibility for the safety of themselves and those for whom they are legally and morally responsible. 

The study identifies four stages of radicalization that leads to such acts of violence. They are:  (As clipped from the NYPD Report)

The report defines these stages as follows:  (As clipped from the NYPD Report)

The entirety of the report is well worth reading.  It can be found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/dcpi/NYPD_Report-Radicalization_in_the_West.pdf 

As one reads the NYPD report and the specific examples using individuals and their journey to mass murder, one is struck by the sensation of familiarity.  One sense of familiarity is derived from the similarity in the progression to killing that any VCA makes.  The other is historical.

KILLING AS DONE BY VCA

Human on human killing is generally recognized as taboo under a social construct.  The term “generally” must be applied because societies recognize through laws, rules, customs, practices and conduct that circumstances can arise where human on human killing is tolerated.  Just ask any Russian who lived under Stalin or Chinese who lived under Chairman Mao.

Under the Anglo-American political model, human on human killing is viewed through a moral lens.  Thus the same set of actions used in a human on human killing that is done with willful intent to kill can be the violent crime of premeditated murder, manslaughter or no crime at all.  The moral conduct of the actor is the determinant.  Moral conduct is derivative of a state of mind.

Malignant moral conduct is the province of the violent criminal actor.  The forceful actions of a VCA, though on occasion provoked, are base, vile and unjust.

The proportionate responsive forceful actions of an innocent to criminal violence offered by a malignantly motivated other are just.

For some unfathomable reason in recent years, roughly commensurate with the militarization of some American police units, it has become fashionable to characterize the legitimate use of force as “violent”.  “Violence of action” and such trendy terms have made their way into the Practitioner community.  A conspiracy theorist might postulate that the injection of a word that by definition and connotation reflects unjustness of action, and brotherhood with VCA, was designed to subtly de-legitimize the just actions of an innocent who was the object of a violent attack.

Using the Webster New Dictionary, copyright 1909-1924 the moral pedigree of the word violent is plain.  Violence is characterized by physical force, especially by extreme, sudden and unjust or improper force.  Force, on the other hand, is the capacity to coercively influence or produce an effect.  The point lurking in all of this is that innocent people use just force to coercively influence or produce an effect in a VCA who offers extreme, sudden, unjust and improper violence.

Good guys use force, bad guys use violence!

Phased Process of VCA Killing

The phased process traveled by VCA on their way to an act of killing is similar to that of the Radicalization Process.  The VCA process has been examined from the early days of the NTI and the ATSA Study Group and is repeated here in abbreviated form.

Marriage of Motive and Target

At this stage the VCA identifies his motive and his target and joins them.  His motive may be instrumental, expressive or a combination.  His target may be individual, a group, specifically identified, general or the result of opportunity.

Fantasizing

At this stage the VCA ruminates and fantasizes about his motive and his target. 

Planning

During this stage the VCA directs his mental energy from rumination and fantasy to exploring apparently operational options.

He may visit the site of the attack.  He may already have a mental map of the location.

He will likely procure weapons that fit with his plan.

Preparation

The VCA will develop a mental tape loop of how he will execute his plan.  He will likely visualize how the target will react and how he will respond.

He will probably practice with his chosen weapons system and prepare them for use.

Execution

The VCA will execute his attack.

These phases may occur over minutes or months.  They may not be perfectly linear in occurrence.  Process through several of the phases may or may not reach execution. 

HISTORY

The other sensation of familiarity one has in reading the NYPD report is that Americans have been here before.  The process of radicalization that lead home grown Americans to bombings and mass killings in the name of a “cause” antithetical to the Anglo-American political model has occurred periodically since the American Civil War.

The decade between 1965 and 1975 was one of those periods. 

In the 100 years before that decade America was made awash with immigrants who were raised in the Franco-German political model.  The majority set that model aside for the advantages available in the AA model.  Still, there were those who subscribed to the FG model, in whole or in part.  Eventually some made it into academia and others made into public office.  One even made it to the Vice-Presidents office.  For the first half of the 20^th Century America had its hands full with two world wars and a depression.  But early in the second half conditions and circumstances were right for those who were attracted to “heaven on earth” and the idea that America was the personification of evil to indulge their fantasies in complete economic comfort.

As with the present American Muslim community, most of those in the 1965-1975 decade just wanted to enjoy the advantages of being an American.  If there was some manifestation of perceived unfairness, most wanted to have it addressed.  There were some who became much more exercised in their expression of dissatisfaction.  They engaged in the conventional American past-time of making a spectacle of themselves with protests.  Some enclaves of distinctly anti-American sentiment formed.  Some of the enclaves gave birth to organized groups such as the Weathermen, SDS and the Black Panthers.  These groups were threatening and intimidating by design.  Some of their members were just criminal thugs looking for a mask of apparent legitimacy.  Some of the groups had “underground factions” that were pledged to violent acts in pursuit of their political goals.

SLA

From that period the SLA is an example of people who went through a radicalization process similar to that which the NYPD describes. 

In the early 1970’s southern California was crawling with groups that enjoyed displaying their assumed moral credentials by proclaiming anti-American sentiment.  Carrying Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book” about was popular.  “People’s Liberation” was a regular topic of discussion.  LA showed how progressive it was by naming a city park “Ho Chi Min Park”.  The incubator was warm and moist.

One of the “causes” was the “plight” of the prisoners in the penal system.  Several prison guards were assaulted and some were killed by inmates.  Given the political climate, some official thought it would be a good idea to allow “students” into the prison for “encounter” sessions with resident VCA.  Among those who attended this pre-cursor to political correctness were Bill and Emily Harris, Russell Little and Angela Atwood.  This core group and a few others were as ordinary appearing as could be.  Middle-class, educated, articulate and bright no known criminal history, they had no obvious indicators that would identify them as trouble.  They did, however, spend a lot of time promoting concepts like “collective work” and “cooperative production”.

Soon they were attracted to the charismatic Donald DeFreeze, a VCA with a number stenciled across his chest.  DeFreeze escaped prison and moved in with the group.  Soon they were living in an array of “safe houses”.  They formed the Symbionese Liberation Army.  DeFreeze became Field Marshal Cinque Mtume and Harris became General Tekki. 

In their first known criminal act they shot to death a school administrator who endorsed the idea of photo identification for students.  They publicly took credit for the killing and announced their reason was because he intended to turn the public schools into a prison-like surveillance environment.

From there they robbed banks and killed customers capriciously including a mother of 4 who was making a deposit for her church.  Frequently they contacted the media and took credit for their actions.

But what the SLA is best known for is the kidnapping of Patty Hearst. 

After kidnapping Hearst they demanded that the Hearst family provide $60.00 worth of free food to every “poor” person in California.  The math came to billions.  Not possible for even the Hearst family.

Within 60 days of her kidnapping, Patty Hearst was standing in a bank with a withdraw slip disguised as a submachine gun.  Days after that adventure she fired on security personnel as they tried to take one of the group into custody for a theft committed in a sporting goods store where they went to get ammunition.

The SLA made pipe bombs and gasoline bombs.  When police and FBI traced them to a safe house there was a stand-off.  Police fired teargas.  The gasoline bombs ignited.  Many of the SLA, including Angela Atwood, were killed.  The community, to hear the press tell it, blamed the police.

Kathleen Soliah, a supporter and facilitator of the group made a speech at a public memorial service held for the dead members.  Soon she joined the group in their activities.

Hearst and several members of the SLA decided it was time to disappear.  Jack Scott, a well known spots writer of the time, made arrangements for them to use a place in Pennsylvania.  (Interestingly, within a stones throw of where Jamaat ul-Fuqra is reported to have a camp presently.)  They were reportedly traveling with some well known athletes during this time.

After several months Hearst and the remainder of the SLA reformed in California.  They continued to rob banks and kill people.  They planted bombs under police cars and at public places.

In 1975 police captured and killed several other members of the group.  A few, including Kathleen Soliah disappeared. 

In 1999 the FBI arrested Soliah who using the name Sara Jane Olson.  At the time of her arrest she was described in the media as a stay-at-home mom.  Her husband was a doctor.  Her many friends in the community action group she belonged to came to her aid.  She and her friends were actively involved in such social issues as assisting Mumia Abu Jamal and Leonard Peltier.  Leopards always do have trouble with spots.

MORAL TO THE STORY

The story of the SLA, like the story of Timothy McVey and others demonstrates that the work of the NYPD is applicable to all manner of those who pursue “causes”.  Home grown, expressively motivated mass killers will always justify their actions against “The Great Satan”, “jack-booted thugs” or “fascist imperialists”.  Some how it always ends up the same, they kill women, children and every other form of the weak and helpless. 

The SLA lived at a place and time where the general community saw as chic the condemning of America.  Present day home grown Islamists find a similar milieu.  The former group was and the later group is encouraged by the condemnatory media reports they see and read and the apologia they inhale.  They were and are provided with a ready made excuse.

Half a century of therapeutic drivel has seeped into the core of even those who know better.  Society drove them to their actions!  What did we do to make them do what they did?  They were so normal and from such a good family!

In the radicalization process it is true that many of the travelers will have no apparent past that seem to suggest they are killers.  They seem like normal, educated, middle-class young people.  It is true that as part of that process they are in search of something.  They certainly self-identify.  They certainly seek out like minded people and when they find those that are sufficiently like minded, that small group breaks away from the larger group that are just talkers. They seem to find their needs in a charismatic and operational leader.

If we reject the therapeutic model, we are left with a seemingly normal self-identified killer of the weak and helpless who went in search of like minded people and located them.  After winnowing out the talkers, the group goes in search of a teacher, with experience, who is hopefully inspiring.  And once committed, like Soliah, in twenty-five years you will still be able to see their spots.