US has no strategy to meet home grown terror threat

Washington, Sept.11 (ANI): Unveiling a new report a day before the United States marks nine years since the 2001 attacks, members of the National Security Preparedness Group said Al Qaeda and other terror groups are increasingly turning to U.S. citizens to carry out attacks on America.

Citing examples where recruiters went after Somali populations and other groups living in the United States, they said Washington needs to urgently prepare for these threats.

"The United States has failed to fundamentally to understand and prepare for these threats. Terrorists may have found our Achilles' heel. We have no strategy to deal with this growing problem and emerging threat," Fox News quoted group member Bruce Hoffman, as saying.he report says there remains no federal agency specifically charged with identifying radicalization or working to prevent terrorist recruitment of U.S. citizens and residents.

The group, headed by former 9-11 commission leaders Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, laid out a detailed description of domestic terror incidents such as the Fort Hood shooting spree last year in which 13 people died; the attempt to crash an airliner in December as it was landing at Detroit, Michigan; and last May's botched vehicle bombing in New York City's Times Square.

Kean told Fox News that Al Qaeda is serious about recruiting U.S. citizens and "non-traditional terrorists" to carry out its attacks.e said: "The threat is real, coordinated. It's something Al Qaeda wants to do now," he said. "They're moving to these smaller attacks. ... Everything becomes more possible if you have an American passport."

The United States needs to respond better to this evolving threat, he said. (ANI)