[R-G] NYPD Report on "Homegrown Terrorism"

[Josh Minchen]

NYPD Report on "Homegrown Terrorism" 

Blueprint for Police-State Arrangements and Broad Government Impunity

In August, the New York Police Department (NYPD) Intelligence Division produced a 90-page report called "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat." The report states directly, "Where once we would have defined the initial indicator of the threat at the point where a terrorist or group of terrorists would actually plan an attack, we have now shifted our focus to a much earlier point - a point where we believe the potential terrorist or group of terrorists begin and progress through a process of radicalization," (emphasis VOR's). While especially targeting male Muslim youth, it also more generally focuses on the concept of "homegrown" threats, emphasizing that the "potential" terrorists start as people that are "unremarkable" to law enforcement. 

Most of the report outlines ten cases considered "terrorism," from the U.S. and abroad, in an effort to establish what is called the "radicalization process" among young Muslim men, including converts from "ordinary neighbors." This "radicalization process" supposedly leads to "jihad" which, according to this latest form of profiling, leads to organizing a terror attack. Throughout the report the authors claim that "Terrorism is the ultimate consequence of the radicalization process." 

Cases from overseas include the Madrid, March 2004 attack and the London July 2005 attack, and the Amsterdam Hofstad Group, Australia's, Operation Pendinnis November 2005, and the Toronto 18 case of June 2006. The Madrid and London cases are the only ones where an actual terrorist act was carried out. Cases in the U.S. include the Lackawanna Six (New York) in 2002; the Portland (Oregon) Seven (2002); Northern Virginia, Paintball (2003); the Herald Square Subway (2004) and the Al Muhajiroun Two, the only New York City examples. The report openly admits that no acts of terrorism were committed in any of the U.S. cases, and in several cases, including that of the Lackawanna Six, Portland and Northern Virginia, no planning was done, no acts of violence, no crimes of any kind. As well, the cases are commonly government instigated. The government sends in an informant, who calls for and tries to instigate terrorist acts or at least plans, repeatedly attempting to inflame the passions of those involved. The informant then gives testimony for indictments, often being the main evidence that terrorism was even remotely thought about, let alone planned. Such criminal police activity is now considered normal and necessary to arrest what are otherwise "ordinary" individuals, living next door.

The report, without factual evidence, claims that these cases show an identifiable "trajectory," that the individuals or groups identified will end up "committing acts of terror, planning acts of terror, or intending to commit acts of terror." The individuals are said to go through the same four-step "radicalization process" or "trajectory." The report emphasizes that understanding this process is key for law enforcement's counter-terrorism efforts because it "provides a tool for predictability." Indeed, one can say a key aim of the report is to justify use of this "tool" - a tool based not on law enforcement and investigation of actual crimes or plans for crimes, but on the potential intent of those with radical ideas. As well, factually, the main evidence from the U.S. cases given is that the individuals identified did not even intend to commit acts of terrorism (see below for Lackawanna Six case as a representative example). This does not stop the NYPD from creating its "tool for predictability."

According to the report, stage one of the "radicalization process" is called "pre-radicalization." During this stage "unremarkable" individuals who are often not religious and are "just like everyone else" become predisposed to the next stage of "radicalization." This second stage is called "self-identification," by both "internal and external factors." These factors supposedly lead them in turn to "explore Salafi Islam," which is described as a form of "militant Islam" that breeds "intolerance and hostility" against the "West" and sanctions violence to achieve its goals. Major "catalysts" for this "religious seeking" may be economic ("losing a job," "blocked mobility"), social ("alienation," "discrimination," "racism - real or perceived"), political ("international conflicts involving Muslims"), or personal ("death in the close family"). 

While the main target of this report is Muslims, one can readily see how the same method of "intervening at an early point" based on a "potential trajectory" can and is being used against many others, such as anti-war demonstrators, striking workers, anyone just thinking about what police believe to be "radical" action.

The third stage of the "trajectory," is called "Indoctrination," the phase in which "radical views are encouraged and reinforced," and the individual "wholly adopts jihadi-salafi ideology" and is convinced "militant jihad" is needed. "Association with like-minded people is an important factor as the process deepens," says the report. Here again, given statements by President George W. Bush claiming communism, for example, and other "radical ideologies" are the same as that of the "terrorists," one can see how readily and broadly early intervention by police forces is to be justified. Police always consider that protesters have the "potential" for violence, for example. The emphasis on "association with like-minded people" is also significant, as it is aimed at smashing organizing efforts to build collectives and fight for the rights of those collectives, such as the youth, workers, political organizations or affinity groups in action at protests.

"Jihadization," the final stage, is the phase in which members of a "cluster" or group are said to become committed to violence and "self-designate themselves as holy warriors." While the first three stages may take a long time to evolve and develop, "jihadization," says the report, "can occur quickly, and with very little warning." Thus, according to the police, the need to intervene long before this point, based solely on an individual or groups "radical ideology" and conviction that militant action is needed.

The report's identification of places where this radicalization takes place further reveals how broad the targets are. Called "radicalization incubators," the places named by the report include: student associations, youth clubs, gyms, book stores, cafes, cab driver hangouts, butcher shops, flophouses, prisons, non-governmental organizations, mosques, hookah (water pipe) bars, and the internet. Law enforcement is directed to pay close attention to these "extremist incubators." The internet is said to be a major "incubator" for "extremist fodder or fuel for radicalizing" because of the "thousands of extremist websites and chat-rooms" on it. The NYPD's racist and anti-worker, anti-youth character is also evident in this list of places. 

The report adds, "There is no useful profile to assist law enforcement or intelligence to predict who will follow this trajectory of radicalization." To be sure, "The subtle and non-criminal nature of the behaviors involved in the process of radicalization makes it difficult to identify or even monitor from a law enforcement standpoint." "Radicalization makes little noise.[it] borders on areas protected by the First and Fourth amendments.and does not lend itself to a traditional criminal investigations approach."

Confronted with the reality that crimes are not being committed and rights are being violated, the report explicitly and implicitly calls not for upholding the law, including standards of law enforcement, but for greater "intelligence" efforts, especially by local police agencies. It suggests that "intelligence" units like those in the NYPD be established in all police departments, and because of the "nature" of the "homegrown threat," and it's "non-criminal" character, more spies and informants will be needed.

The report openly speaks to the need to identify "potential" terrorists by intervening more, if not entirely, on the basis of "intent." The Preface of the report states, "If the post-September 11 world has taught us anything, it is that the tools for conducting serious terrorist attacks are becoming easier to acquire. Therefore intention becomes an increasingly important factor in the formation of terrorist cells. This study is an attempt to look at how that intention forms, hardens and leads to an attack or attempted attack using real world case studies." This is re-affirmed several times, including again at the end of the report, "In the early stages of their radicalization, these individuals rarely travel, are not participating in any kind of militant activity, yet they are slowly building the mindset, intention, and commitment to conduct jihad,"(emphasis added). 

The change then from local law enforcement to primarily spies, infiltrators, instigators of terrorist acts and more can readily be seen. We are not even to wonder why the NYPD, a local police force, has an "intelligence unit" analyzing events in Europe and across the country and providing a report directed to "policymakers and law enforcement officials, both in Washington and throughout the country." 

It should also be noted that the NYPD, like that of Chicago and other major cities, during the Cold War had "red squads," used to spy on, infiltrate and disrupt communist organizations, the Black Panthers, and others, including through use of framing people, false evidence and assassination. These squads, like McCarthyism, were denounced and rejected by the people and supposedly eliminated. Instead, they now exist as "intelligence" divisions, producing reports of this kind calling for more such squads - with their spies, infiltrators and "black-ops." Given the content of this report, the plan is for these "intelligence" divisions to be the police departments, or at least their main core. This shows that McCarthyite arrangements are in place in the NYPD and now being openly promoted as necessary for all police departments. 

Given past experience, and the demand now that people be arrested and charged based on what police admit is a potential trajectory of intent, there is no doubt that the scope of spying, infiltration, framing, attempts to instigate violence, splits and other disruptive actions by police forces will be far greater than in the past and present. And it will be directed not only at Muslims, but at any collectives and organizations or individuals expressing their opposition to the government and the need for radical change

The timing of the release cannot be considered a coincidence. It takes place just before the demonstrations in Quebec against U.S. plans to annex Canada and Mexico and create a North America of the Monopolies, with integrated military and police forces. The U.S. military was in command and control of repressing demonstrators, including trying to impose "protest pens," like those used at the Democratic Party Convention in Boston in 2004. Police infiltrators were exposed right during the demonstration, attempting to provoke violence against union leaders.

The timing also coincides with the second anniversary of the government-organized Katrina disaster, where the government whipped up racist hysteria and then issued "shoot to kill" orders and carried them out. It comes just a few weeks before anti-war demonstrations in September and October. And it comes just a few weeks before the anniversary of September 11. The report again uses this crime to justify broad government impunity and institutionalizing, at the local level, police state measures. In this way, the NYPD is specifically being utilized to convince other local police forces to submit to federal and military command and control, abandon even the concept of their responsibility to "serve and protect," and instead become instruments of McCarthyite terror and impunity. 

Let all reject these measures and organize against government impunity. Let everyone step up resistance by defending the rights of all and bringing forward a rule of law and law enforcement that in word and deed serves and protects the people.

http://www.usmlo.org/arch2007/2007-09/VR070925.htm#03

Reference
The NYPD report in .pdf format:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/files/NYPD_Report-Radicalization_in_the_West.pdf