Islamist Insurgent Groups In Africa Want To Copy The Tactics That Were Successful For The Taliban In Winning The Afghan War

GAO, Mali - A Eurocopter Tiger (Eurocopter EC665 Tigre) helicopter (L) is seen at the French Military base in Gao, in northern Mali on November 8, 2019. MICHELE CATTANI/AFP  

CNBC: The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could reshape counterinsurgencies in Africa, experts say 

* The shift in power comes at a critical juncture for the so-called war on terror for the governments of countries like Somalia, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria, and the Western powers that support them. 

* French President Emmanuel Macron announced in July that the 5,000-strong troop presence in the Sahel would end in the first quarter of 2022. 

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent withdrawal of Western troops was closely watched in many African capitals — and by Islamist insurgent groups on the continent. 

The shift in power comes at a critical juncture for the so-called war on terror for the governments of countries like Somalia, Mali, Mozambique and Nigeria, and the Western powers that support them. 

A media outlet linked to Somali militant group al-Shabab wrote “God is great” following news of the takeover. Meanwhile, the leader of West Africa’s Jama’at Nasral-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) jihadist organization drew comparisons between the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and France’s planned drawdown of military presence in West Africa’s Sahel region.  

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WNU Editor: The impact from the fall of Afghanistan is just starting. 

Everyone predicted that if the withdrawal from Afghanistan was not handled properly, a disaster would unfold. Where they were wrong was on the timetable.

Africa's Islamist movements have taken note on what has happened. They are now not only more committed than ever, but they now have a template on what to do to win the wars that they are fighting.

It is an understatement to say that President Biden's lack of strategic insight and calculation is going to carry a great cost to future generations.

U.S. Will Not Be Asking The Taliban For Permission To Strike ISIS Or Al Qaeda Terror Groups In Afghanistan

An Air Force pilot prepares equipment inside the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft before a sortie in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Southwest Asia. The U.S. will not seek Taliban permission to conduct such strikes in Afghanistan going forward. (Senior Airman Joshua Kleinholz/Air Force) 

 Military Times: US won’t be asking Taliban permission to strike terror groups in Afghanistan 

When U.S. Central Command authorizes strikes against groups like ISIS-K or al Qaida in Afghanistan, they won’t be negotiating with the Taliban about where and when they can drop bombs. 

While the U.S. generally negotiates agreements with countries where it conducts strikes, the Pentagon considers Afghanistan essentially a free space, following the collapse of its elected government in August. 

“We retain all necessary authorities to execute over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations, and we remain confident in these capabilities moving forward,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Military Times on Friday. 

“Without speaking to specific rules of engagement surrounding air strikes, there is currently no requirement to clear airspace with the Taliban, and we do not expect that any future over-the-horizon counterterrorism strikes would hinge on such a clearance.”  

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Update #1: US Won’t Be Asking Taliban Permission to Launch Future Airstrikes in Afghanistan (Antiwar.com) 

Update #2: Pentagon: No Need to Coordinate Airstrikes with Taliban (TOLO News)  

Update #3: Pentagon Says It Will Not Clear Anti-Terrorist Airstrikes in Afghanistan with Taliban (Newsweek)  

WNU Editor: The Taliban and Al Qaeda are allies. Striking Al Qaeda will be like striking the Taliban. 

So much for President Biden's promise that the war is over.  It is not over. It is just entering a different phase.

How Can The West Stop Terror Bases In Afghanistan?

BBC: Afghanistan: How can the West stop terror bases? 

"The UK will fight Islamic State by all means available," says Dominic Raab. The foreign secretary added that the UK would "draw on all elements of national power" to pursue the group's leaders. 

So what does that mean in practice? What exactly are the tools at Britain's disposal? Or is this, as some critics would maintain, just an empty boast? 

First off, let's review what's been lost. 

The Taliban takeover of nearly the whole of Afghanistan means that the West - and specifically the CIA, MI6 and other intelligence agencies - no longer has a trusted, in-country security service or Afghan special forces to work with. 

For the nearly 20 years that NATO and other multinational forces have been in Afghanistan, the intelligence provided by the country's National Directorate of Security has been vital in disclosing the covert activities of al-Qaeda, ISIS-K (the Afghan affiliate of Islamic State group) and other jihadist militant groups. 

Afghan, US, British and other special forces were then able to swoop in, often by helicopter in the dead of night, and close down those bases before they could successfully launch any international attacks. 

Hence the claim that for 20 years there has not been a single transnational attack launched from Afghanistan while Western forces were there.  

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WNU Editor: President Biden talks about "over the horizon" capabilities, and in today's White House briefing Jen Psaki said the U.S. will be able to stop any terror attack or terror plots even though they are no longer in Afghanistan. But as the above BBC analysis clearly points out. U.S. and U.K. counter-terrorism capabilities have been significantly degraded with the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, and it will take years to establish new intelligence networks.

Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin Explains Why President Biden's Vow To Avenge Today's U.S. Deaths Is Not Possible

 

WNU Editor: Could not have explained it better.

Acting U.S Director Of The National Counterterrorism Center Has Been Removed

The general view of the operations center of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is seen during a tour by President George W. Bush at Liberty Crossing near Tysons Corner on June 10, 2005. © Reuters Photographer / Reuters

Washington Post: Acting counterterrorism center head fired, according to former U.S. officials

The acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center was removed Wednesday in what insiders fear is a purge by the Trump administration of career professionals at an organization set up after 9/11 to protect the nation from further attacks, according to two former U.S. officials.

Russell E. Travers, a highly regarded intelligence professional with more than 40 years of government service, told colleagues he was fired by acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, said the former officials, who like others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Travers, who took up the acting position last August, had been resistant to pressure to make personnel cuts at the center, which has been undergoing a review of its mission and effectiveness.

Also removed at the NCTC was Travers’s acting deputy, Peter W. Hall, who is returning to the National Security Agency, the former officials said.

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WNU Editor: There are conflicting reports on whether Russell E. Travers has been fired or retired. But what is true is that he is leaving.

More News On The Acting U.S Director Of The National Counterterrorism Center Being Dismissed

Counterterrorism chief and deputy leaving as Trump administration considers downsizing agency -- NBC
Counterterrorism Chief Exits as Top U.S. Intelligence Official Weighs Cuts -- The New York Times
Acting director of National Counterterrorism Center fired: report -- The Hill
Richard Grenell: Acting counterterrorism chief retiring, not fired -- Washington Examiner

Former CIA Official Accuses President Trump Of Being Obsessed With 'Killing Celebrity Terrorist Targets'

Via Kevin McCarthy/Instagram, and Daily Mail: "President Trump ate ice cream and meatloaf with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday when the Pentagon confirmed that a top Iranian general was killed in an airstrike. From left: Trump aides Hogan Gidley and Dan Scavino; McCarthy; and Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night."

Just Security: The President, His Relationship with Intelligence, and the Soleimani Strike

When it comes to intelligence, like with so much else, President Donald Trump likes big names. It’s this focus on celebrity, headlines, and immediate gratification — versus substance, impact, and consequences — that so often motivates him. Partly because of this, as a senior CIA counterterrorist manager, my team and I often struggled in persuading the president to recognize the most important threats. Now, with the killing of Qassem Soleimani, I worry that while Trump got a big name and lots of headlines, the long-term impact on U.S. strategic interests was not fully considered.

At CIA, I saw this play out more than once. Trump’s obsession in focusing resources against Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza is one example of the president’s preference for a “celebrity” targeted killing versus prioritizing options that could prove better for U.S. security.

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WNU Editor: So who would this ex-CIA official approve in killing?

More News On A Former CIA Official Accusing President Trump Of Being Obsessed With 'Killing Celebrity Terrorist Targets'

Trump obsessively hunts 'celebrity' terrorist targets and ignores other threats to the US, former CIA officer says -- Business Insider
Trump puts 'celebrity' terrorism targets ahead of national security – ex-CIA man -- The Guardian
Former CIA senior official says Trump obsessed with killing 'celebrity' targets for 'headlines' -- Washington Examiner

Inside Israel's Top-Secret Anti-Terror Operation Center

Tel Aviv, Israel. December 2017. YAMAM rappellers simulate retaking a skyscraper from terrorists. Video still by Adam Ciralsky.

Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair: “We Try to Learn Every Terrorist Attack”: Inside the Top-Secret Israeli Anti-Terrorism Operation That’s Changing the Game

Governments around the world are quietly turning to YAMAM, Israel’s special police force, for help with their most intractable security problems. And now, elite commandos publicly reveal the tactics that have made it one of the most fearsome counterterrorism units in the world.

I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed. —Psalm 18:37 (motto of Israel’s clandestine counterterror squad)

On a spring evening in late April, I traveled to a fortified compound in the Ayalon Valley between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The location is not identified on Waze, the Israeli-built navigation tool, and so, as far as my app-addled cabdriver was concerned, it does not exist. Then again, the same could be said for its inhabitants: YAMAM, a band of counterterror operatives whose work over the last four decades has been shrouded in secrecy.

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WNU Editor: A must read.

White House Outlines Its Counter-Terrorism Strategy

U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton

The Hill: Trump approves new counterterrorism strategy

The Trump administration on Thursday rolled out what it billed as a “robust” counterterrorism strategy, saying that it differs from the previous administration's by focusing on “terrorist ideology.”

“We recognize that there is a terrorist ideology that we’re confronting,” national security adviser John Bolton said. “And I think it’s long been the president’s view that without recognizing that we’re in an ideological struggle that we can’t properly address the terrorist threat. I think in that sense this is much broader than strategies in the previous administration."

Bolton unveiled the strategy in a briefing with reporters, saying it is meant to address the “increasingly complex and evolving terrorist threat” to the United States.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is focused on Iran .... White House Adviser: Iran Is 'Central Banker' For Terrorism (RFE). The White House document is here .... National Strategy for Counterterrorism of the United States of America

More News On The White House Outlining Its Counter-Terrorism Strategy

U.S. counterterrorism strategy puts new focus on Iran and proxies -- Reuters
White House outlines counterterrorism strategy, slams Iran -- FOX News/AP
Terrorist Threat ‘More Fluid and Complex Than Ever,’ White House Says -- The New York Times
White House targets Iran with new counterterrorism strategy -- Politico
Trump administration unveils new counterterrorism strategy -- CNN
White House Approves Broad New Counterterrorism Strategy - Bolton -- Sputnik
‘This is not the Obama admin’: Bolton unveils Trump’s new far-reaching counter-terrorism strategy -- RT
Trump’s Counterterrorism Strategy Is a Relief -- Joshua A. Geltzer, The Atlantic

The CIA Has Set-Up Commando Units To Track And Kill Terrorists

Buzz Feed: Trump's CIA Has Set Up Teams To Kill Terrorists

“Small teams are locating and killing bad guys. That’s what we are doing.” The official in charge of the hit teams was a senior aide to CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who Trump just nominated to be secretary of state.

The Central Intelligence Agency has been deploying small teams of commandos to kill selected suspected terrorists, according to two sources familiar with the program.

The program, which has not been previously disclosed, is coordinated by units from the CIA’s Special Activities Center, which oversees the agency’s paramilitary capability, the sources said.

The CIA denied that it has such a program. “Your story is wrong,” said Ryan Trapani, an agency spokesperson.

Director Mike Pompeo, who President Trump has just tapped to become secretary of state, has publicly said the agency will become more “aggressive” and “vicious” but has not mentioned the new effort to kill terrorists.

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Update: Trump’s Pick For Secretary Of State Reportedly Set Up ‘Kill Teams’ Of Commandos At The CIA (Task & Purpose/Business Insider)

WNU Editor: The U.S. has been targeting terrorists since 9/11. The whole purpose of the drone program was just that .... observe and gather intelligence, and if a high value target shows up .... take him out. So why the uproar over reports that the CIA has now set up commando units to track and kill terrorists. The mission is still the same .... gather intelligence and if a high value target is present, take him out.

A Look At How The U.S. Is Using Terrorists' Smartphones And Laptops To Gather Intel

USA Today: How the U.S. is using terrorists' smartphones and laptops to defeat them

BETHESDA, Md. – Smartphones helped terror organizations grow and communicate. Now the devices are contributing to their downfall.

In a nondescript, highly secured building in this Washington suburb, a group of U.S. government technicians and linguists are downloading massive amounts of data from phones, hard drives, CDs and other devices, providing a huge boost to the U.S. intelligence community as it hunts terrorists.

Many of the devices have been captured from battlefields in Iraq and Syria, where the Islamic State has lost virtually all the territory it captured in 2014.

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WNU Editor: Even though every terror group knows that their cell phones can be used against them  .... I am still surprised that these groups just cannot let go of their cell phones.

Facebook, Google And Twitter Tell Congress On How They Are Taking Down Extremist Content

CNBC: Facebook, Google tell Congress they're fighting extremist content with counterpropaganda

* Facebook, Google and Twitter told Congress Wednesday that they've gone beyond screening and removing extremist content from their services and are creating more anti-terror propaganda.
* Executives from the three largest social media companies shared their latest methods of fighting extremism during testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee.

Facebook, Google and Twitter told Congress Wednesday that they've gone beyond screening and removing extremist content and are creating more anti-terror propaganda to pre-empt violent messages at the source.

Representatives from the three companies told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that they are, among other things, targeting people likely to be swayed by extremist messages and pushing content aimed at countering that message. Several senators criticized their past efforts as not going far enough.

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WNU Editor: I am skeptical that Facebook, Google And Twitter are great at counter-propaganda, but if they can delete extremist content quickly and within the public parameters on what extremism is .... I will be satisfied with that.

More News On Facebook, Google And Twitter Telling Congress On How They Are Taking Down Extremist Content

Twitter, YouTube, Facebook describe battle against 'terrorist content' to Congress -- Washington Examiner
Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were grilled by lawmakers about terrorist content on social media -- The Verge
Why Can't Facebook Take Down All Terrorist Content? -- Newsweek

The Pentagon Wants An AI System To Hunt Down Terrorists

​Image: ​US Army/Flickr

Antimedia: Skynet Now: Pentagon Deploys Terrorist-Hunting Artificial Intelligence

Someday, future sentient artificial intelligence (AI) systems may reflect on their early indentured servitude for the human military-industrial complex with little to no nostalgia. But we’ll worry about that when the day comes. For now, let’s continue writing algorithms that conscript machine intelligence into terrorist bombings and let the chips fall where they may. The most recent disclosure comes directly from the Pentagon, where after only 8 months of development a small team of intel analysts has effectively deployed an AI into the battlefield in control of weaponized systems to hunt for terrorists.

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WNU Editor:  Welcome to the Brave New World.

The Pentagon Is Using Software To Hunt Down Terrorists

Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One: The Pentagon’s New Artificial Intelligence Is Already Hunting Terrorists

After less than eight months of development, the algorithms are helping intel analysts exploit drove video over the battlefield.

Earlier this month at an undisclosed location in the Middle East, computers using special algorithms helped intelligence analysts identify objects in a video feed from a small ScanEagle drone over the battlefield.

A few days into the trials, the computer identified objects — people, cars, types of building — correctly about 60 percent of the time. Just over a week on the job — and a handful of on-the-fly software updates later — the machine’s accuracy improved to around 80 percent. Next month, when its creators send the technology back to war with more software and hardware updates, they believe it will become even more accurate.

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WNU Editor: The age of using software to pinpoint and target the enemy is now with us .... and this is only going to become more effective (and deadlier) with time.

Is Pakistan Making Progress In Countering Terrorism?

Michael Kugelman, War On The Rocks: Progress and Peril in North Waziristan

Last month, I had a rare opportunity to visit North Waziristan, a Pakistani tribal region blessed with rugged beauty, yet cursed with a long history of conflict. Long a haven for terrorists, both local and foreign, it’s been described as the most dangerous place on earth.

My visit was eye-opening — but it also raised some unsettling questions. There were clear signs that Pakistan has made progress in countering terrorism in North Waziristan, but also good reason to believe that a less positive picture lay beyond the small area I saw. Moreover, Pakistan’s efforts in the region cannot be designated an unqualified success, given its lack of decisive action against certain terror groups, particularly the Haqqani Network. I also was struck by how easily the progress made could be squandered, thanks to the enduring presence and appeal of extremism around the country. Ultimately, the North Waziristan counterterrorism campaign highlights the broader disagreements between the United States and Pakistan over the latter’s support for militants, a divide that has widened with the Trump administration’s threats to Pakistan over its ties to terrorists.

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WNU Editor: Pakistan showed this reporter what they wanted him to see. But it is true that terror incidents have decreased in Paksitan this past year .... and heh .... they felt that at least this part of the country was safe enough for an American reporter to be giving a tour, albeit probably under heavy protection.

The World's Tech Companies And The G7 Agree On Plan To Counter Jihadi-Islamist Content Online

DW: G7, Facebook, Google, Twitter agree on plan to counter Islamist terror

G7 countries and leading technology companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter have agreed to work together to combat online terror propaganda. The accord is aimed at blocking jihadi content online.

The Group of Seven (G7) countries and some of the world's biggest technology firms agreed on Friday on a plan to remove jihadi material from the web within two hours of being posted.

"These are the first steps towards a great alliance in the name of freedom," Italian Interior Minister and host Marco Minniti said after a two-day meeting on the Italian island of Ischia off Naples.

Security experts have been warning about the manner in which extremist groups around the world have been efficiently using the internet to radicalize, recruit and train new members.

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Update #1: G7, tech giants agree on plan to block jihadist content online (AFP)
Update #2: Tech firms to remove extremist posts within hours (BBC)

WNU Editor: The goal is to spot and remove jihadist or extremist posts within two hours. I do not know how they are going to do it that fast .... considering how huge the web is and the limits on resources .... but at least that is the goal.

White House Defends Its Somalia Counterterrorism Model

Washington Post: White House officials defend Somalia strategy as counterterrorism model

President Obama has cited the battle against al-Shabab militants in Somalia as a model of success for his relatively low-investment, light-footprint approach to counterterrorism.

By some measures, it has paid dividends. U.S. drones have killed several of the Islamist group’s leaders, including two top planners in just the past month, a senior administration official said Friday. African Union troops backed by the United States have forced al-Shabab fighters to flee huge swaths of territory.

But this week’s massacre of 148 people at Garissa University College, the deadliest terrorist attack on Kenyan soil in two decades, demonstrates the limits of the administration’s approach and the difficulty of producing lasting victories over resilient enemies.

Only last fall, Obama was touting his counterterrorism strategy in the region as one that “we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.”

WNU Editor: There is no political will in Washington to allocate thousands of soldiers and billions of dollars to battle Al Shaabab and to rebuild Somalia .... as a result, this light footprint and low investment is the only acceptable policy for many in Washington right now. Will this change because of the massacre at Garissa University College in Kenya .... in my opinion no .... Al Shaabab is an effective terror group, but they are not dangerous enough to directly threaten the U.S. for Washington to change its counterterrorism policy.

The Head Of The CIA’s Counter­terrorism Center Has Been "Unceremoniously Reassigned'

Washington Post: CIA official who directed hunt for bin Laden is being removed from post

The head of the CIA’s Counter­terrorism Center, who presided over the agency’s drone campaign and directed the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is being removed from his post, officials said, a watershed moment as the CIA turns its focus to a new generation of extremist threats.

The move, part of a major reorganization under CIA Director John Brennan, ends a nine-year tenure during which the center was transformed into a paramilitary force that employed armed drones to kill thousands of suspected terrorists and militants but also killed an unknown number of civilians.

WNU Editor: Gawker has posted the identity and details of this CIA officer.

More News On The Dismissal Of The Head Of The CIA's Counterterrorism Center

CIA’s ‘Capt. Ahab’ leaves post; Osama bin Laden tracker led counterterrorism center -- Washington Times
Hero CIA officer who led the hunt for Bin Laden and converted to Islam is removed from his post in 'restructure' -- Daily Mail
Muslim Convert Who Helped Find Bin Laden Leaves Top CIA Terror Job -- Daily Caller
CIA mastermind behind bin Laden killing, aka 'Captain Ahab', to be removed from post -- RT
CIA's Notorious Father of Drone Strikes Strategy Removed From Post -- Sputnik

US Counter-Terrorism Strategy In Yemen Has Collapsed

Washington Times: Yemen chaos leaves U.S. intel in the dark on al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Yemen’s descent into political chaos makes it the latest Mideast nation too dangerous for U.S. officials to operate in — a development intelligence sources say will dangerously limit America’s ability to track and target al Qaeda and other extremist terror movements in the region.

While some Obama administration critics see the military triumphs of Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels in Yemen as a victory by the region’s Shiite powerhouse, Iran, others say the more dangerous fallout will be the loss of real-time intelligence and on-the-ground assets following the withdrawal of U.S. special forces from a Yemeni air base that has long played a key role in the battle against Sunni extremist al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

WNU Editor: Even the base that U.S. Special Forces used in launching drone strikes and other military operations against Al Qaeda has fallen .... Yemeni President Flees as Rebels Take Base Vacated by U.S. Special Forces (Time).

More News On The Collapse Of U.S. Counter-Terrorism Strategy In Yemen

US counterterror strategy in Yemen collapses as country's violence spins out of control -- FOX News
US counterterrorism strategy in Yemen collapses amid chaos -- AP
Chaos in Yemen Stymies U.S. Counterterror Operations -- WSJ
CIA insider: U.S. intelligence to suffer from troop withdrawal in Yemen -- CBS
Homeland Security chairman: US blind in Yemen after pullout -- The Hill
No U.S. intelligence in Yemen or Syria, Homeland Security chairman warns -- Washington Examiner

Update: White House responds .... White House: Despite Yemen Withdrawal, U.S. Can Still Fight Terror (Washington Free Beacon/Reuters).

Jihadi John Still Has His Bank Account

Mohammed Emwazi does not feature on any of the asset freezing orders issued by the Government

The Telegraph: Jihadi John keeps his bank account after Treasury freezes assets of only a handful of Islamic terrorists

Official report shows just £50,000 frozen in accounts used by extremists fuelling criticism of Government over its failure to crack down on terror financiers

Only six out of more than 600 British jihadists have had their bank accounts frozen under special terror laws, according to an official report.

The review also shows just £50,000 worth of assets was frozen in bank accounts opened by terror suspects operating in the UK. The amount was branded “remarkably low” by David Anderson QC, the Government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation and author of the new study.

Update: ‘Jihadi John’ still has access to British bank account: ‘Incomprehensible’ -- Washington Times

WNU Editor: To say that this is incomprehensible is an understatement. A part of me likes to believe that the UK government is monitoring his account to find any potential leads .... but for some reason my gut is telling me that they are not. One thing that I have learned about life is that if you want to hurt the enemy .... hurt them where it counts .... their pocketbook. Unfortunately .... this is a lesson that has not been learned in Britain (and I would hazard a guess .... elsewhere in the West).

It Costs A Lot To Monitor A Suspected Terrorist Or Militant

French authorities had removed Said Kouachi and his brother Cherif, the gunmen who attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris (seen at rear), from the intelligence watch list. Still from video in Paris, January 7, 2015. REUTERS/Reuters TV

David Wise, Reuters: How much does it cost to watch a suspected militant? Lots.

In 2011, U.S. intelligence informed French authorities that a French citizen had slipped into Yemen, probably for terrorist training. In November, the French security services placed the man, Said Kouachi, under surveillance. They wiretapped his mobile phone, as well as that of his younger brother, Cherif. By the end of 2013, French intelligence had dropped its surveillance of Cherif, and Said’s was terminated in mid-2014. After three years, the brothers, born to Algerian immigrants, were judged to be no longer dangerous.

WNU Editor: With open borders and a system that is being overwhelmed .... I would say that it has now become impossible to even screen and monitor a fraction of the suspected violent militants that may be in our cities.