Author | United States House Committee on Homeland Security Malcolm Nance (foreword) |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Subject | Counterterrorism |
Genre | Warfare |
Publisher | United States Government Publishing Office |
Publication date | 2015 |
Media type | Paperback, Ebook |
Pages | 96 |
ISBN | 978-1-5107-1238-6 (Skyhorse paperback edition) |
OCLC | 965469828 |
Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel is a report about counterterrorism and foreign fighters in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars by a bipartisan task force of the United States House Committee on Homeland Security, with a foreword by cryptology analyst and author Malcolm Nance. The work was released by the United States Government Publishing Office in 2015 as an unillustrated committee print, by the United States House Committee on Homeland Security in September 2015 in an illustrated edition, and as a paperback book in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing. The report discusses United States citizens leaving their country to gain fighting experience in Iraq and Syria on the battlefield. It notes some linked up with the Syrian Civil War in order to attempt to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from power, later joining ISIS. According to the work, approximately 4,500 from the Western world left their countries to join ISIS, including over 250 American citizens. The report gives thirty-two recommendations to address the problem, including tactics to stop travels of battlefield soldiers to and from their countries of origin, ways to change executive branch policies, and methods to determine which individuals are planning terrorist activities. [1]
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson spoke highly of the report and thanked the Committee for their efforts. [2] Interpol leader Jürgen Stock said the recommendations emphasized the need for sovereign states to give materials to each other in collaborative counterterrorism efforts. [3] Anthony D'Amato wrote for the Georgetown Security Studies Review that the report's recommendations were a way to address the "critical process" and "formulate a strategy on disrupting foreign fighter travel in the 21st century." [4] The Brookings Institution cited the report for information on terrorist recruitment tactics. [5]
The report significantly affected on the U.S. legislative process related to counterterrorism objectives. Representative Martha McSally spoke out on the floor of the United States House of Representatives in favor the Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act, House Resolution 4239. [6] Another bill based on the report, Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016, House Resolution 4314, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016. [7] Yet another bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2016, House Resolution 4404, was proposed based upon research from the report. [8] The bill was successfully reported to the full U.S. House of Representatives out of committee, as the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2017, H. Rept. 115-40. [9] It unanimously passed the full U.S. House of Representatives in 2017, as Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act, H.R. 1302. [10]
Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel was a bipartisan task force made up of members from the United States House Committee on Homeland Security, begun in 2015. [11] [12] [13] Its leadership included chairman Congressman Michael McCaul and ranking member Congressman Bennie Thompson, and lead members John Katko and Loretta Sanchez. Additional membership included United States Representatives Barry Loudermilk, Filemon Vela Jr., John Ratcliffe, Donald Payne Jr., Will Hurd, and Martha McSally. [1] The writer of the book's foreword, Malcolm Nance, is a retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer in naval cryptology, [14] [15] [16] who served in the U.S. Navy from 1981-2001. [17] [18] His books on the subject matter of the report include: The Terrorists of Iraq , [19] An End to al-Qaeda , [20] Terrorist Recognition Handbook , [21] Defeating ISIS , [22] and Hacking ISIS. [23]
The need for the report was emphasized prior to its executive summary with quotations from President of the United States Barack Obama, FBI director James Comey and former United States Attorney General Eric Holder. Obama warned that with globalization came an increased risk of terrorists passing through the borders of the United States in order to cause harm to U.S. citizens. Comey wrote that terrorists who had garnered battlefield experience in Iraq and Syria posed a threat if they were able to travel to the U.S. Holder said the Syrian Civil War created a fertile bed for Islamic extremism and the U.S. needed to be alert to prevent U.S. citizens from traveling there and returning to their country of origin to commit attacks. [1] During the course of their research for the report, members of the bipartisan task force traveled to foreign countries in order to speak with government workers and intelligence community leaders about the subject matter to gain more expertise in the area. [24] Work for the report's publication was completed in 2015. [25] [26] The book was first published in paperback format by Skyhorse Publishing in 2016. [27] An e-book edition was released the same year. [28]
Part of a series on |
Terrorism |
---|
The report discusses the significant problem of United States citizens leaving their country of origin in order to gain fighting experience in Iraq and Syria on the battlefield. The report documents that the amount of U.S. citizens who have tried to gain access to battlefield areas in order to fight alongside foreign terrorists numbers in the hundreds. [1] The report faults the Obama Administration for failing to take enough action on the matter, writing, "The U.S. government lacks a national strategy for combating terrorist travel and has not produced one in nearly a decade." [29]
The report notes that subsequent to 2011 citizens from 100 different sovereign states have left their countries of origin in order to join the battlefields in Iraq and Syria. The first waves of individuals joined the Syrian Civil War in order to attempt to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from power. The majority of these individuals then afterwards joined up with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in an attempt to grow the global expansion of the terrorist group. According to the work, approximately 25,000 individuals left their home countries to join ISIS and related terrorist initiatives; this figure includes about 4,500 from the Western world and more specifically over 250 American citizens. [1]
The authors of the report back up their conclusions with multiple primary source documents including travel to the areas in question, interviews with subjects, examination of key records, and prior briefings to the United States House Committee on Homeland Security. The report recommends thirty-two main objectives to the United States Executive Branch, including tactics to stop travels of battlefield soldiers to and from their countries of origin, ways to change executive branch policies, and methods to determine which individuals are planning terrorist activities. [1]
Significant conclusions of the report include the main objective, that American foreign policy and homeland security policies must adapt to better stem the tide of U.S. citizens traveling to and from distant battlefields. The report identifies police officials from the non-federal level who have cited their own personal worries about lack of resources in the form of security clearances in order to help the federal government deal with counterterrorism. The report identifies weak spots along the chain of foreign travel where terrorists are able to slip out of counterterrorism oversight capabilities. The authors of the work describe holes in law enforcement checkpoints both within the United States and more significantly in European countries where it is increasingly not difficult for terrorists to travel back and forth to the Western world. [1]
The Skyhorse paperback edition includes a foreword by Malcolm Nance that gives background on the conclusions of the report. Nance emphasizes the significant necessity of a coherent plan to stem American terrorists from exiting the country and then returning again from war-torn zones in order to commit criminal acts back in their home country. [1] Nance concludes his foreword writing, "This Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel is a keystone study of ISIS's ability to recruit terrorists from or in their home nations to abandon all they have ever known and launch themselves as a virtually programmed corps of human guided weapons globally." [1]
United States Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson wrote positively of the report, saying, "I thank the House Homeland Security Committee, in particular Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson, for their work examining the critical issue of foreign terrorist fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq. The report published by the Committee’s bipartisan task force is an important assessment of how we in the U.S. government can enhance our efforts to counter the foreign terrorist fighter threat." [2] Johnson concluded, "The threat of foreign terrorist fighters requires the comprehensive efforts of all our partner agencies and allied nations. We will continue to adapt to this evolving threat and take necessary action to protect the American public. As we move forward, my Department will maintain a close working relationship with Congress on this issue." [2]
Interpol praised the recommendations in the document, with the United States Department of Justice reporting about its leader Jürgen Stock, "Welcoming the report, Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said its findings once again underlined the absolute necessity for countries to share information on foreign terrorist fighters." [3]
Anthony D'Amato wrote for the Georgetown Security Studies Review that, "In the age of unprecedented global connectedness and mass communication, we have to formulate a strategy on disrupting foreign fighter travel in the 21st century. Policymakers can start this critical process by examining the findings of the Homeland Security Committee Task Force’s Final Report on Combating Foreign Fighter Travel." [4] D'Amato concluded, "While the Homeland Security Committee report does not offer any lasting solutions to the crisis we are in, one thing is certain: if we keep doing what we are doing, we will most certainly be further away from that vision of a world without terrorist organizations than we were a few years ago." [4] The report became a resource cited by the Brookings Institution which noted terrorist entities use tools online in order to promote violent extremism via the Web to their followers and for recruitment purposes. [5]
Final Report of the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel influenced subsequent legislation in the United States Congress about counterterrorism prevention and response. Representative Martha McSally spoke out on the floor of the United States House of Representatives in favor the Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act, House Resolution 4239. Representative McSally cited her experiences and work on the task force a part of her rationale for supporting the resolution, which she called "important legislation". McSally noted the suggestions to the Executive Branch of the United States made in the report, and noted the bill, is "the direct result of one of these recommendations." [6]
Another bill based on the report, Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016, House Resolution 4314, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016. [7] [30] [31] Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said of the bill's passage in the U.S. House, "Nearly 40,000 jihadists from around the world have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq with groups like ISIS. Today the House acted decisively to shut down the jihadist superhighway that allows extremists to get to their safe havens—and return to the West, prepared to strike America and our allies. This legislation will streamline and elevate U.S. efforts to combat terrorist travel and make sure we are focusing our attention where it is needed most." [7] [31]
Yet another bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2016, House Resolution 4404, was proposed based upon research from the report. [8] Sponsored by Martha McSally, the bill would require "the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and conduct an exercise to evaluate the nation’s preparedness against the threat of foreign fighters and terrorists." [8] H.R. 4404 would necessitate the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a practice "scenario involving persons traveling from the United States to join or provide material support resources to a terrorist organization abroad and terrorist infiltration into the United States". [8] The bill was successfully reported to the full U.S. House of Representatives out of committee, as the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2017, H. Rept. 115-40. [9] The bill passed the full U.S. House of Representatives in 2017. [10] It was passed unanimously in the U.S. House as Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act, H.R. 1302. [10]
"State Sponsors of Terrorism" is a designation applied to countries that are alleged to have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism" per the United States Department of State. Inclusion on the list enables the United States government to impose four main types of unilateral sanctions: a restriction of foreign aid, a ban on weapons sales, heightened control over the export of dual-use equipment, and other miscellaneous economic sanctions. The State Department is required to maintain the list under section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act.
Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 10th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security during the 113th, 114th, and 115th Congresses. His district stretches from Austin to Houston.
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Its responsibilities include U.S. security legislation and oversight of the Department of Homeland Security.
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and by its Arabic acronym Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist group and a former unrecognised quasi-state. Its origins were in the Jai'sh al-Taifa al-Mansurah organization founded by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi in 2004, which fought alongside al-Qaeda during the Iraqi insurgency. The group gained global prominence in 2014, when its militants successfully captured large territories in northwestern Iraq and eastern Syria, taking advantage of the ongoing Syrian civil war. By the end of 2015, it ruled an area with an estimated population of twelve million people, where it enforced its extremist interpretation of Islamic law, managed an annual budget exceeding US$1 billion, and commanded more than 30,000 fighters.
Malcolm Wrightson Nance is an American author and media pundit. He is a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer specializing in naval cryptology.
Foreign fighters have fought on all four sides of the Syrian Civil War, as well both sides of the War in Iraq. In addition to Sunni foreign fighters, Shia fighters from several countries have joined pro-government militias in Syria, leftist militants have joined Kurdish forces, and other foreign fighters have joined jihadist organizations and private military contractors recruit globally. Estimates of the total number of foreign Sunnis who have fought for the Syrian rebels over the course of the conflict range from 5,000 to over 10,000, while foreign Shia fighters numbered around 10,000 or less in 2013 rising to between 15,000 and 25,000 in 2017.
Many states began to intervene against the Islamic State, in both the Syrian Civil War and the War in Iraq (2013–2017), in response to its rapid territorial gains from its 2014 Northern Iraq offensives, universally condemned executions, human rights abuses and the fear of further spillovers of the Syrian Civil War. These efforts are called the War against the Islamic State, or the War against ISIS. In later years, there were also minor interventions by some states against IS-affiliated groups in Nigeria and Libya. All these efforts significantly degraded the Islamic State's capabilities by around 2019–2020. While moderate fighting continues in Syria, as of 2024, ISIS has been contained to a manageably small area and force capability.
Opération Chammal is a French military operation in Iraq and Syria launched to help curtail the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and to support the Iraqi Army. Its name comes from the Shamal, a northwesterly wind that blows over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states.
The Military of the Islamic State is the fighting force of the Islamic State (IS). The total force size at its peak was estimated from tens of thousands to over two hundred thousand. IS's armed forces grew quickly during its territorial expansion in 2014. The IS military, including groups incorporated into it in 2014, openly operates and controls territory in multiple cities in Libya and Nigeria. In October 2016, it conquered the city of Qandala in Puntland, Somalia. It conquered much of eastern Syria and western Iraq in 2014, territory it lost finally only in 2019. It also has had border clashes with and made incursions into Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan. IS-linked groups operate in Algeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and in West Africa. In January 2015, IS was also confirmed to have a military presence in Afghanistan and in Yemen.
Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) is a multinational military formation established by the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State with the stated aim to "degrade and destroy" the organization. Led by United States Army Central (ARCENT), it is composed of military forces and personnel from over 30 countries.
Collaboration with the Islamic State refers to the cooperation and assistance given by governments, non-state actors, and private individuals to the Islamic State (IS) during the Syrian Civil War, Iraqi Civil War, and Libyan Civil War.
Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, labeled the "Muslim ban" by Donald Trump and his supporters and critics, and commonly known as such, or commonly referred to as the Trump travel ban, or Trump Muslim travel ban, was an executive order by President Trump. Except for the extent to which it was blocked by various courts, it was in effect from January 27, 2017, until March 6, 2017, when it was superseded by Executive Order 13780, a second order sharing the title "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States".
Clint Watts is a senior fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University and a Foreign Policy Research Institute fellow. He previously was an infantry officer in the United States Army, and was the Executive Officer of the Combating Terrorism Center at United States Military Academy at West Point (CTC). He became a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). He has consulted for the FBI Counterterrorism Division (CTD) and FBI National Security Branch (NSB).
The Plot to Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election is a non-fiction book by Malcolm Nance about the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. It was published in paperback, audiobook, and e-book formats in 2016 by Skyhorse Publishing. A second edition was also published the same year, and a third edition in 2017. Nance researched Russian intelligence, working as a Russian interpreter and studying KGB history.
Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe is a non-fiction book about counterterrorism against ISIS. It was written by Malcolm Nance, a former cryptology analyst, with a foreword by Richard Engel. Its thesis is that ISIS is not part of Islam, instead, it functions as a separate destructive extremist group. He emphasizes the fact that the majority of those who have been harmed by ISIS are themselves Muslim. The book traces the history of the movement back to the history of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and it also discusses ISIS's combat style and recruiting tactics. Nance offers a four-point plan to defeat ISIS, including airpower and special forces, Internet tactics, strengthening the Syrian military, and engaging Arab world states.
The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003–2014 is a nonfiction book about the Iraqi insurgency, written by U.S. Navy retired cryptology analyst Malcolm Nance. It was published by CRC Press in 2014. The book discusses the terrorist evolution of the Iraqi insurgency which led to the formation of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Nance cites the 2003 Iraq war by the Bush Administration for causing regional instability. He criticizes Coalition Provisional Authority leader Paul Bremer. The book emphasizes lessons the U.S. neglected to learn from the Vietnam War, the Iraqi revolt against the British, and the South Lebanon conflict. Nance writes in favor of the Iran nuclear deal framework by the Obama Administration, saying it is in the interests of all parties involved.
An End to al-Qaeda: Destroying Bin Laden's Jihad and Restoring America's Honor is a non-fiction book about counterterrorism strategies towards al-Qaeda, written by U.S. Navy retired cryptology analyst Malcolm Nance. The book describes how the September 11 attacks changed the traditional Muslim community around the globe. Nance criticizes the approach of the George W. Bush administration, including the verbiage and public presentations used in the War on Terror. The author argues al-Qaeda is not part of Islam but is instead a dangerous religious cult. Nance writes the United States should commit to better education with a public relations campaign to encourage traditional believers in Islam around the world to denounce al-Qaeda.
Terrorist Recognition Handbook: A Practitioner's Manual for Predicting and Identifying Terrorist Activities is a non-fiction book about counterterrorism strategies, written by U.S. Navy retired cryptology analyst Malcolm Nance. The book is intended to help law enforcement and intelligence officials with the professional practice of behavior analysis and criminal psychology of anticipating potential terrorists before they commit criminal acts. Nance draws from the field of traditional criminal analysis to posit that detecting domestic criminals is similar to determining which individuals are likely to commit acts of terrorism. The book provides resources for the law enforcement official including descriptions of devices used for possible bombs, a database of terrorist networks, and a list of references used. Nance gives the reader background on Al-Qaeda tactics, clandestine cell systems and sleeper agents, and terrorist communication methods.
Zulfi Hoxha, also known by the nom de guerre (kunya) Abu Hamza al-Amriki, was an Albanian-American Islamic State (IS) senior commander and recruiter of foreign fighters fighting in Syria and in Iraq.
Foreign fighters in the Syrian civil war have come to Syria and joined all four sides in the war. In addition to Sunni foreign fighters arriving to defend the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or join the Syrian rebels, Shia fighters from several countries have joined pro-government militias in Syria, and leftists have become foreign fighters in the Syrian Democratic Forces.
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)