Intelligence Collection & Homegrown Violent Extremism

Intelligence Collection & Homegrown Violent Extremism
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Introduction
Terrorism and violent extremism have been one of the most unending problems facing the world over the past several decades. They are just two heads of the same snake; in most cases, one often gives rise to the other. As the world continues coming up with ways to combat it, there seem to be new ways in which it rears its head once more. For a long time, the West has borne the brunt of terrorism. It seems as if the West, specifically the U.S., was the ultimate dream of every terrorist to attack. While the last major attack on American soil was back on 9/11, a new form of violent extremism has reared its head; homegrown violent extremism. This paper delves into a deep discussion of homegrown violent extremism and the efforts being made by the intelligence system to combat it.
Homegrown Violent Extremism
To understand homegrown violent extremism, it is important to first understand extremism. Extremism is the belief in any religious, social, economic, or political idea far from the mainstream (Newell,2021). It is the open and vocal rejection of the sociocultural norms of a given society. An extremist can oppose the rule of law, the diverse faiths and beliefs, and, generally, the way of life of a given country. A homegrown violent extremist, on the other hand, is an individual who exercises extremism against the country in which he was born and bred and still lives in a manner that physically threatens the citizens of that country (Canady, 2021).
The motivations for violent extremism stem from various things mainly hinged on ideologies. These include ideas on religion, the economy, ethnicity, the environment, and politics. A person might be so obsessed with any of these ideologies and have a lot of belief in them that they completely disregard a different school of thought from those around them. These ideologies can then push one to engage in forceful acts to advance themselves over the people, sometimes to detrimental effects (Pendley,2018). Extremists, therefore, oppose the right to free expression and might also oppose societal rules and do anything to prove their point.
Violent extremism usually undermines the general tranquillity and order within any given society or country. No country in the world is immune to violent extremism since this is an ideology, and an ideology always has a way of spreading amongst the populace (Khan & Yu,2019). It does not exclude any religion, culture, ethnicity, or social class. It cuts across the board. There has been a rather increased development of violent extremism worldwide, which has continued piling more humanitarian pressure on these regions. Millions have continued fleeing certain regions to avoid the harsh realities back home.
When it comes to homegrown violent extremism, there is nowhere to run. Homegrown extremists are right in the Western countries, often considered safe havens for those fleeing from other regions. Homegrown violent extremism has continued affecting Western nations such as the U.S.A for several reasons. First, the U.S. is known to have its homegrown group of violent extremists in the name of white supremacists. These are individuals who...