U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism Henry Crumpton.

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13 June 2006

(Smaller, "self-radicalized" terrorist cells a growing concern, say officials)

Washington – As terrorist tactics continue to evolve, so too must the international community’s strategy to defeat them, two top U.S. counterterrorism officials told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a June 13 hearing.

“While recognizing our success, we also recognize that challenges remain,” said the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism Henry Crumpton.  He was joined by Admiral John Scott Redd, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, to brief the senators on the progress of U.S.-led efforts against international terrorism.

Crumpton and Redd noted significant progress in building a global partnership against al-Qaida and related organizations, most recently illustrated by the death of al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, as well as the thwarting of a terrorist bombing plot in Canada.  (See related article.) 

However, Crumpton and Redd remarked that these and other successful counterterrorist operations have led terrorists to use new tactics, such as smaller, “self-radicalized and self-organized” cells that are harder to detect and defeat.  

The “new face of terrorism” represented by these groups is not centrally controlled by al-Qaida, but it responds to the network’s violent ideology that seeks to exploit anger over local conflicts and historical grievances to inspire new acts of terror.  (See related article.)   

Terrorists continue to strengthen their organizations through sophisticated use of the Internet to collect and exchange intelligence, spread propaganda, raise funds, and recruit new members, the officials said. 

Some terrorists have established links with state sponsors, such as Iran and Syria, while others are building new alliances with international criminal organizations, Crumpton noted.  Some he said, are actively seeking chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.  (See related article.)            

“We're at war with a dangerous, adaptable and persistent enemy,” Redd said.

Crumpton added that the ongoing conflict in Iraq illustrates another element of the terrorists’ strategy: establishing safe havens.  “Al-Qaida and associated foreign fighters seek to hijack, transform, and direct local Sunni insurgents.  They view Iraq as a training ground and indoctrination center for Islamic extremists from around the world,” he said, adding that in recent years, terrorists have also attempted to establish footholds in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. 

Crumpton said that the United States is leading a multilayered international effort to defeat terrorism.  The first element is to counter violent extremism globally through military and intelligence operations to defeat terrorist groups and bring their leadership to justice.  The second element involves working to develop regional initiatives that can deny safe haven to terrorists by helping partners to build stronger, more effective military and police forces.  The third element is to support security, democratization, and development programs locally to help states address the social and economic injustices that can lead to terrorism.  (See related article.)

“We must maintain flexibility in our approach as the enemy continues to evolve,” Crumpton said.  “We must fight the enemy with precise, calibrated efforts that will deny it leadership, safe haven, and financial and criminal networks of support.”  (See related article.) 

The National Counterterrorism Center, created in 2004, performs two essential roles in this strategy, Redd told the committee.  First, the center serves as the as a primary clearinghouse for analyzing, integrating, and sharing all available U.S. intelligence concerning terrorism.  In this capacity, its operations center works around the clock to keep U.S. officials, as well America’s international partners, continually updated on the latest threat information.  Second, Redd said, the Center oversees government-wide counterterrorism planning “to bring all elements of national power to bear in an integrated and effective manner in the war on terror.” (See related article.)

The full text of Crumpton’s and Redd’s prepared statements will be available on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Web site.

For more information, see Response to Terrorism.