KC & Associates Investigations Research Associates

Quinault Valley Guns & Blades / Urban Escape & Evasion Course
International Relations * Military * Terrorism * Business * Security www.kcandassociates.org orders@kcandassociates.org

Kathleen Louise dePass Press Agent/Publicist .360.288.2652

Triste cosa es no tener amigos, pero ms triste ha de ser no tener enemigos porque quin no tenga enemigos seal es de que no tiene talento que haga sombra, ni carcter que impresione, ni valor temido, ni honra de la que se murmure, ni bienes que se le codicien, ni cosa alguna que se le envidie. A sad thing it is to not have friends, but even sadder must it be not having any enemies; that a man should have no enemies is a sign that he has no talent to outshine others, nor character that inspires, nor valor that is feared, nor honor to be rumored, nor goods to be coveted, nor anything to be envied. -Jose Marti

From the desk of Craig B Hulet?

The White House is Working to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence in the United States as it pertains to the Domestic Population and Groups. This effort to re-define as terrorists many otherwise simply movements, organizations and outspoken individuals who are now considered a Domestic Threat to National Security is unprecedented in the Countrys entire history. Gun Owners will be seen as terrorists if they fail to comply with a Gun Ban DOJ memo says assault weapons ban unlikely to have an impact on gun violence See memo inside! The Left pretends the memo doesnt exist.

Working to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence in the United States February 05, 2013 at 10:02 AM EST The American public increasingly relies on the Internet for socializing, business transactions, gathering information, entertainment, and creating and sharing content. The rapid growth of the Internet has brought opportunities but also risks, and the Federal Government is committed to empowering members of the public to protect themselves against the full range of online threats, including online radicalization to violence. Violent extremist groups like al-Qaida and its affiliates and adherents, violent supremacist groups, and violent sovereign citizens are leveraging online tools and resources to propagate messages of violence and division. These groups use the Internet to disseminate propaganda, identify and groom potential recruits, and supplement their real-world recruitment efforts. Some members and supporters of these groups visit mainstream fora to see whether individuals might be recruited or encouraged to commit acts of violence, look for opportunities to draw targets into private exchanges, and exploit popular media like music videos and online video games. Although the Internet offers countless opportunities for Americans to connect, it has also provided violent extremists with access to new audiences and instruments for radicalization. As a starting point to prevent online radicalization to violence in the homeland, the Federal Government initially will focus on raising awareness about the threat and providing communities with practical information and tools for staying safe online. In this process, we will work closely with the technology industry to consider policies, technologies, and tools that can help counter violent extremism online. Companies already have developed voluntary measures to promote Internet safety such as fraud warnings, identity protection, and Internet safety tips and we will collaborate with industry to explore how we might counter online violent extremism without interfering with lawful Internet use or the privacy and civil liberties of individual users. This approach is consistent with Internet safety principles that have helped keep communities safe from a range of online threats, such as cyber bullies, scammers, gangs, and sexual predators. While each of these threats is unique, experience has shown that a well-informed public, armed with tools and resources to stay safe online, is critical to protecting communities. Pursuing such an approach is also consistent with the community-based framework we outlined in Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States and the Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States. A New Interagency Working Group

To more effectively organize our efforts, the Administration is establishing a new Interagency Working Group to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence, chaired by the National Security Staff at the White House and involving specialists in countering violent extremism, Internet safety experts, and civil liberties and privacy practitioners from across the United States Government. This Working Group will be responsible for developing plans to implement an Internet safety approach to address online violent extremism, coordinating the Federal Governments activities and assessing our progress against these plans, and identifying additional activities to pursue for countering online radicalization to violence. Raising Awareness through Existing Initiatives In the coming months, the Working Group will coordinate with Federal departments and agencies to raise awareness and disseminate tools for staying safe from online violent extremism primarily through three means. First, information about online violent extremism will be incorporated into existing Federal Government Internet safety initiatives. Internet safety initiatives at the Department of Education, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies provide platforms that already reach millions of Americans, and relevant departments and agencies will work to add materials related to online radicalization. The primary government platform for raising awareness about Internet safety is OnGuard Online, managed by the Federal Trade Commission and involving 16 departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Education. OnGuard Online in addition to other Federal Government Internet safety platforms like Stop.Think.Connect and Safe Online Surfing will begin including information about online violent extremism. This information also will be posted on the Countering Violent Extremism homepage on the Department of Homeland Securitys website and updated to reflect new best practices and research. Second, the Federal Government will work with local organizations throughout the country to disseminate information about the threat. One reason for the success of Federal Government Internet safety awareness efforts is that they work closely with local organizations such as school districts, Parent Teacher Associations, local government, and law enforcement to communicate to communities. Law enforcement is a particularly important partner in raising awareness about radicalization to violence and is already developing materials with support from the Department of Justice. Law enforcement departments and agencies have established Internet safety programs and relationships with community members and local organizations that can reach multiple audiences with critical information about the threat of online violent extremism and recruitment. Departments and agencies will provide the latest assessments of this threat to

our local partners and encourage them to incorporate this information into their programs and initiatives. Third, departments and agencies will use our preexisting engagement with communities to provide information about Internet safety and details about how violent extremists are using the Internet to target and exploit communities. U.S. Attorneys throughout the country, who historically have engaged with communities on a range of public safety issues, are coordinating these Federal engagement efforts at the local level, with support from other departments and agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education. U.S. Attorneys and others involved in community engagement will seek to incorporate information about Internet radicalization to violence into their efforts, as appropriate. At the same time, the Federal Government will engage with State, local, and tribal government and law enforcement officials to learn from their experiences in addressing online threats, including violent extremism. Going Forward As the Federal Government implements this effort in the coming months, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who use the Internet to recruit others to plan or carry out acts of violence, while ensuring that we also continue to uphold individual privacy and civil liberties. Preventing online radicalization to violence requires both proactive solutions to reduce the likelihood that violent extremists affect their target audiences as well as ensuring that laws are rigorously enforced.

For a fact sheet on Countering Online Radicalization to Violence, click here. Sections

Contact the FBI o FBI Headquarters o Local FBI Offices o Overseas Offices o Submit a Tip on Crime/Terrorism o Report Internet Crime o More Contacts... About the FBI o Quick Facts o What We Investigate o Frequently Asked Questions o History o Partnerships and Outreach

Reports and Publications Criminal Justice Information Services Information Technology Intelligence Laboratory Services National Security Branch Training Academy More About Us... Most Wanted o Ten Most Wanted Fugitives o Most Wanted Terrorists o Seeking Terrorism Info o Kidnappings & Missing Persons o Parental Kidnappings o Crime Alerts o White Collar Crimes o More Wanted by the FBI... FBI News o News Blog o Photo Gallery o Podcasts & Radio o Press Releases o RSS News Feeds o Speeches o Stories o Testimony o Video o Widgets FBI Stats and Services o Background Checks o Crime Statistics/UCR o Criminal Justice Information Services o Fingerprints & Other Biometrics o FOIA/Records Requests o Gun Checks/NICS o Laboratory Services o Law Enforcement Services o Name Checks o Reports & Publications o Training o Victim Assistance o More Resources... Scams and Safety o Be Crime Smart Advice o Common Fraud Schemes o E-scams & Warnings

o o o o o o o o

Report Internet Crime Sex Offender Registry Submit a Tip on Crime/Terrorism Get a Job! FBI Fun and Games!

o o o

Select Language

Powered by

Translate

Get FBI Updates Home News Stories 2010 April Sovereign Citizens Movement

Twitter (15) Facebook (756) Share

The Sovereign Citizen Movement Domestic Terrorism The Sovereign Citizen Movement 04/13/10 Domestic terrorismAmericans attacking Americans because of U.S.-based extremist ideologiescomes in many forms in our post 9/11 world. To help educate the public, weve previously outlined two separate domestic terror threatsecoterrorists/animal rights extremists and lone offenders. Today, we look at a third threatthe sovereign citizen extremist movement. Sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or sovereign from the Some examples of illegal license plates used by so-called sovereign citizens.

United States. As a result, they believe they dont have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement. This causes all kinds of problemsand crimes. For example, many sovereign citizens dont pay their taxes. They hold illegal courts that issue warrants for judges and police officers. They clog up the court system with frivolous lawsuits and liens against public officials to harass them. And they use fake money orders, personal checks, and the like at government agencies, banks, and businesses. Thats just the beginning. Not every action taken in the name of the sovereign citizen ideology is a crime, but the list of illegal actions committed by these groups, cells, and individuals is extensive (and puts them squarely on our radar). In addition to the above, sovereign citizens:

Commit murder and physical assault; Threaten judges, law enforcement professionals, and government personnel; Impersonate police officers and diplomats; Use fake currency, passports, license plates, and drivers licenses; and Engineer various white-collar scams, including mortgage fraud and so-called redemption schemes.

Sovereign citizens are often confused with extremists from the militia movement. But while sovereign citizens sometimes use or buy illegal weapons, guns are secondary to their antigovernment, anti-tax beliefs. On the other hand, guns and paramilitary training are paramount to militia groups. During the past year, weve had a number of investigative successes involving sovereign citizens. A few recent cases:

In Sacramento, two sovereign citizens were convicted of running a fraudulent insurance scheme. Operating outside state insurance regulatory guidelines, the men set up their own company and sold lifetime memberships to customers, promising to pay any accident claims against their members. The company collected millions of dollars, but paid out very few claims. More In Kansas City, three sovereign citizens were convicted of taking part in a conspiracy using phony diplomatic credentials. They charged customers between $450 and $2,000 for a diplomatic identification card, which would bestow upon the holder sovereign statusmeaning they would enjoy diplomatic immunity from paying taxes and from being stopped or arrested by law enforcement. More In Las Vegas, four men affiliated with the sovereign citizen movement were arrested by the Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force on federal money laundering, tax evasion, and weapons charges. The investigation involved an undercover operation, with two of the suspects allegedly laundering more than a million dollars from what they believed was a

bank fraud scheme. More

You can help. First, be crime smartdont fall for the bogus claims and scams of sovereign citizens. And second, if you have information on any suspicious activities or crimes, please contact us. Resources: - Lone Offenders - Eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists - Anarchist extremism - Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: Fact Sheet on Sovereign Citizen Movement Working to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence in the United States February 05, 2013 at 10:02 AM EST The American public increasingly relies on the Internet for socializing, business transactions, gathering information, entertainment, and creating and sharing content. The rapid growth of the Internet has brought opportunities but also risks, and the Federal Government is committed to empowering members of the public to protect themselves against the full range of online threats, including online radicalization to violence. Violent extremist groups like al-Qaida and its affiliates and adherents, violent supremacist groups, and violent sovereign citizens are leveraging online tools and resources to propagate messages of violence and division. These groups use the Internet to disseminate propaganda, identify and groom potential recruits, and supplement their real-world recruitment efforts. Some members and supporters of these groups visit mainstream fora to see whether individuals might be recruited or encouraged to commit acts of violence, look for opportunities to draw targets into private exchanges, and exploit popular media like music videos and online video games. Although the Internet offers countless opportunities for Americans to connect, it has also provided violent extremists with access to new audiences and instruments for radicalization. As a starting point to prevent online radicalization to violence in the homeland, the Federal Government initially will focus on raising awareness about the threat and providing communities with practical information and tools for staying safe online. In this process, we will work closely with the technology industry to consider policies, technologies, and tools that can help counter violent extremism online. Companies already have developed voluntary measures to promote Internet safety such as fraud warnings, identity protection, and Internet safety tips and we will collaborate with industry to explore how we might counter online violent extremism without interfering with lawful Internet use or the privacy and civil liberties of individual users.

This approach is consistent with Internet safety principles that have helped keep communities safe from a range of online threats, such as cyber bullies, scammers, gangs, and sexual predators. While each of these threats is unique, experience has shown that a well-informed public, armed with tools and resources to stay safe online, is critical to protecting communities. Pursuing such an approach is also consistent with the community-based framework we outlined in Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States and the Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States. A New Interagency Working Group To more effectively organize our efforts, the Administration is establishing a new Interagency Working Group to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence, chaired by the National Security Staff at the White House and involving specialists in countering violent extremism, Internet safety experts, and civil liberties and privacy practitioners from across the United States Government. This Working Group will be responsible for developing plans to implement an Internet safety approach to address online violent extremism, coordinating the Federal Governments activities and assessing our progress against these plans, and identifying additional activities to pursue for countering online radicalization to violence. Raising Awareness through Existing Initiatives In the coming months, the Working Group will coordinate with Federal departments and agencies to raise awareness and disseminate tools for staying safe from online violent extremism primarily through three means. First, information about online violent extremism will be incorporated into existing Federal Government Internet safety initiatives. Internet safety initiatives at the Department of Education, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies provide platforms that already reach millions of Americans, and relevant departments and agencies will work to add materials related to online radicalization. The primary government platform for raising awareness about Internet safety is OnGuard Online, managed by the Federal Trade Commission and involving 16 departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Education. OnGuard Online in addition to other Federal Government Internet safety platforms like Stop.Think.Connect and Safe Online Surfing will begin including information about online violent extremism. This information also will be posted on the Countering Violent Extremism homepage on the Department of Homeland Securitys website and updated to reflect new best practices and research.

Second, the Federal Government will work with local organizations throughout the country to disseminate information about the threat. One reason for the success of Federal Government Internet safety awareness efforts is that they work closely with local organizations such as school districts, Parent Teacher Associations, local government, and law enforcement to communicate to communities. Law enforcement is a particularly important partner in raising awareness about radicalization to violence and is already developing materials with support from the Department of Justice. Law enforcement departments and agencies have established Internet safety programs and relationships with community members and local organizations that can reach multiple audiences with critical information about the threat of online violent extremism and recruitment. Departments and agencies will provide the latest assessments of this threat to our local partners and encourage them to incorporate this information into their programs and initiatives. Third, departments and agencies will use our preexisting engagement with communities to provide information about Internet safety and details about how violent extremists are using the Internet to target and exploit communities. U.S. Attorneys throughout the country, who historically have engaged with communities on a range of public safety issues, are coordinating these Federal engagement efforts at the local level, with support from other departments and agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education. U.S. Attorneys and others involved in community engagement will seek to incorporate information about Internet radicalization to violence into their efforts, as appropriate. At the same time, the Federal Government will engage with State, local, and tribal government and law enforcement officials to learn from their experiences in addressing online threats, including violent extremism. Going Forward As the Federal Government implements this effort in the coming months, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who use the Internet to recruit others to plan or carry out acts of violence, while ensuring that we also continue to uphold individual privacy and civil liberties. Preventing online radicalization to violence requires both proactive solutions to reduce the likelihood that violent extremists affect their target audiences as well as ensuring that laws are rigorously enforced.

For a fact sheet on Countering Online Radicalization to Violence, click here.

Homeland Security Home Topics How Do I? Get Involved News About DHS Home Topics Preventing Terrorism Countering Violent Extremism Topics Border Security Citizenship and Immigration Services Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Cybersecurity Disasters Economic Security Homeland Security Enterprise Homeland Security Jobs Human Trafficking Immigration Enforcement International Engagement Law Enforcement Partnerships o Preventing Terrorism Overview Chemical Security Biological Security Countering Violent Extremism Critical Infrastructure Security Explosives If You See Something, Say Something National Terrorism Advisory System Nuclear Security Results o Transportation Security Get Involved How Do I? News About DHS

Know Before You Go Site Links Countering Violent Extremism Countering Violent Extremism The Complexity of Violent Extremism The threat posed by violent extremism is neither constrained by international borders nor limited to any single ideology. Groups and individuals inspired by a range of religious, political, or other ideological beliefs have promoted and used violence against the homeland. Increasingly sophisticated use of the Internet, mainstream and social media, and information technology by violent extremists adds an additional layer of complexity. Partnering to Better Understand Violent Extremism To counter violent extremism (CVE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) works with a broad range of partners to gain a better understanding of the behaviors, tactics, and other indicators that could point to potential terrorist activity within the United States, and the best ways to mitigate or prevent that activity. We are an important partner in supporting the National Strategy on Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism, which President Obama released on Aug. 3, 2011. Supporting Local Communities As part of its effort to support local networks to counter violent extremism, DHS has launched a number of core initiatives:

DHS Conferences and Workshops on CVE: With our federal partners, DHS hosts conferences and workshops for law enforcement to better educate them about CVE. Training Initiatives: DHS is working with DOJ, and has trained hundreds of thousands of front line officers on Suspicious Activities Reporting and CVE. Grants: DHS has prioritized prevention activities through our grants that directly support local law enforcement efforts to understand, recognize, prepare for, prevent, and respond to terrorist pre-cursor activity, and separately to raise public awareness and vigilance through the If You See Something, Say Something campaign.

International Partnerships DHS also has CVE partnerships with the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, and Australia, as well as partnerships with international law enforcement organizations such as Europol.

For the past year, DHS, Europol, and E.U. partners have exchanged information on U.S. and E.U. based fusion center best practices, CVE training standards, and research and case studies, including a joint case study on the 2011 Norway attacks. DHS signed a U.S.-Australia Joint Statement on Countering Transnational Crime, Terrorism, and Violent Extremism in Canberra in May 2012. Since 2010, DHS has partnered with Canadian counterparts to share best practices and research related to CVE and promote community-based and community driven efforts.

Written testimony of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing titled Homeland Threats and Agency Responses Release Date: September 19, 2012 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building Thank you, Chairman Lieberman, Ranking Member Collins, and Members of the Committee. I am pleased to join you today, and I thank the Committee for your strong support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), not only over the past three and a half years, but indeed, since the Departments founding. I look forward to continuing our work together to protect the American people as we advance our many shared goals. I also thank Director Mueller and Director Olsen. DHS collaborates very closely and effectively with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and together we have forged a strong partnership to meet the shared responsibility of protecting the American people from foreign terrorist plots to acts of homegrown extremists. Eleven years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, America is stronger and more secure, thanks to the support of the Congress, the work of the men and women of DHS, and our Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners across the homeland security enterprise. I thank them all for their service. Created with the founding principle of protecting the American people from terrorist and other threats, DHS and its many partners across the Federal government, public and private sectors, and communities throughout the country have strengthened homeland security to better mitigate and defend against evolving threats. Additionally, within the Federal government, many departments and agencies contribute to the homeland security mission. The Nations armed forces serve on the frontlines of homeland security by degrading al-Qaedas capabilities to attack the United States and targets throughout

the world. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the entire Intelligence Community, of which DHS is a member, are producing better streams of intelligence than at any time in history. The Federal homeland security enterprise also includes the strong presence of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, whose role in leading terrorism investigations has led to the arrest of numerous individuals on terrorism-related charges. But despite considerable progress, the recent attacks in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and Aurora, Coloradoand the terrorist attack in Bulgariaserve as a reminder that our work to detect and prevent attacks is never done. As I have said many times, homeland security begins with hometown security. As part of our commitment to strengthening hometown security, we have worked to get information, tools, and resources out of Washington, D.C., and into the hands of state, local, tribal, and territorial officials and first responders. This has led to significant advances. We have made great progress in improving our domestic capabilities to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against our citizens, our communities, and our critical infrastructure. We have increased our ability to analyze and distribute threat information at all levels. We have invested in training for local law enforcement and first responders of all types in order to increase expertise and capacity at the local level. We have also supported and sustained preparedness and response capabilities across the country through more than $36 billion in homeland security grants since 2002. As we look ahead, and in order to address evolving threats and make the most of limited resources, the Administration proposed a new vision for homeland security grants in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Presidents budget. The Administrations proposal focuses on building and sustaining core capabilities associated with the five mission areas within the National Preparedness Goal (NPG), helping to elevate nationwide preparedness. This proposal reflects the many lessons we have learned in grants management and execution over the past ten years. Using a competitive, risk-based model, the proposal envisions a comprehensive process to assess gaps, identify and prioritize deployable capabilities, limit periods of performance to put funding to work quickly, and require grantees to regularly report progress in the acquisition and development of these capabilities. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress and stakeholders on this proposal to enable all levels of government to build and sustain, in a collaborative way, the core capabilities necessary to prepare for incidents that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation. Our experience over the past several years has also made us smarter about the terrorist threats we face and how best to deal with them. We continue to expand our risk-based, intelligence-driven

security efforts. By sharing and leveraging information, we can make informed decisions about how to best mitigate risk, and provide security that is seamless and efficient. We also free up more time and resources, giving us the ability to focus resources on those threats or individuals we know the least about. This approach not only makes us safer, it also creates efficiencies within the system for travelers and for businesses. In other words, our homeland security and our economic security go hand-in-hand. Strengthening homeland security includes a significant international dimension. To most effectively carry out our core missions including preventing terrorism, securing our borders, enforcing immigration laws, and protecting cyberspace we partner with countries around the world. This work ranges from strengthening cargo, aviation, and supply chain security to joint investigations, information sharing, and science and technology cooperation. Through collaborations with the State Department and other Federal agencies and our foreign counterparts, we not only enhance our ability to prevent terrorism and transnational crime; we also leverage the resources of our international partners to more efficiently and cost-effectively secure global trade and travel, to help ensure that dangerous people and goods do not enter our country. In my time today, I would like to provide an update on the key areas of the DHS mission that fall within the Committees jurisdiction, our priorities, and our vision for working with Congress to build on the substantial progress we have achieved to date and must continue to sustain in the months and years ahead. Preventing Terrorism and Enhancing Security While the United States has made significant progress, threats from terroristsincluding, but not limited to al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda affiliated groupspersist and continually evolve, and the demands on DHS continue to grow. Todays threats are not limited to any one individual, group or ideology and are not defined or contained by international borders. Terrorist tactics can be as simple as a homemade bomb and as sophisticated as a biological threat or a coordinated cyber attack. DHS and our partners at the Federal, state, tribal, and local levels have had success in thwarting numerous terrorist plots, including the attempted bombings of the New York City subway, foiled attacks against air cargo, and other attempts across the country. Nonetheless, recent attacks overseas, and the continued threat of homegrown terrorism in the United States, demonstrate how we must remain vigilant and prepared. To address these evolving threats, DHS employs risk-based, intelligence-driven operations to prevent terrorist attacks. Through a multi-layered detection system focusing on enhanced

targeting and information sharing, we work to interdict threats and dangerous people at the earliest point possible. We also work closely with Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on a wide range of critical homeland security issues in order to provide those on the frontlines with the information and tools they need to address threats in their communities. Likewise, countering biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological threats requires a coordinated, whole-of-government approach. DHS, through the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, works in partnership with agencies across Federal, state, and local governments to prevent and deter attacks using nuclear and radiological weapons through nuclear detection and forensics programs. The Office of Health Affairs (OHA), the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also provide medical, scientific, and other technical expertise to support chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological preparedness and response efforts. Sharing Information, Expanding Training, and Raising Public Awareness The effective sharing of information in a way that is timely, actionable whenever possible, and that adds value to the homeland security enterprise is essential to protecting the United States. As part of our approach, we have changed the way DHS provides information to our partners by replacing the outdated color-coded alert system with the National Terrorism Advisory System, or NTAS, which provides timely, detailed information about credible terrorist threats and recommended security measures. We also have continued to enhance the Nations analytic capability through the 77 designated fusion centers, resulting in unprecedented information sharing capabilities at the state and local levels. DHS has supported the development of fusion centers through deployed personnel, training, technical assistance, exercise support, security clearances, connectivity to Federal systems, technology, and grant funding. We currently have more than 90 DHS intelligence officers deployed to fusion centers, working side by side with their Federal, state, and local counterparts. DHS also has provided hundreds of personnel, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents, Federal Air Marshals, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers, and representatives from FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to support FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) across the country. We are working to ensure that every fusion center supported by DHS maintains a set of core capabilities that includes the ability to assess local implications of national intelligence, share information with Federal authorities so we can identify emerging national threats, and ensure the protection of civil rights, civil liberties and privacy. Specifically, we are encouraging fusion centers to develop and strengthen their grassroots analytic capabilities so that national intelligence can be placed into local context, and the

domestic threat picture can be enhanced based on an understanding of the threats in local communities. We are partnering with fusion centers to establish more rigorous analytic processes and analytic production plans, increase opportunities for training and professional development for state and local analysts, and encourage the development of joint products between fusion centers and Federal partners. Over the past three years, we have transformed how we train our Nations frontline officers regarding suspicious activities, through the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI). This initiative, which we conduct in partnership with the DOJ, is an Administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators potentially related to terrorism and terrorism-related crime; standardize how those observations are documented and analyzed; and ensure the sharing of those reports with fusion centers for further analysis and with the JTTFs for further analysis and investigation. As of August 2012, more than 234,000 law enforcement officers have now received training under this initiative, and more are getting trained every week. The training was created in collaboration with numerous law enforcement agencies, and with privacy, civil rights and civil liberties officials. DHS also has expanded the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative to include our Nations 18 critical infrastructure sectors. Infrastructure owners and operators from the 18 sectors are now contributing information, vetted by law enforcement through the same screening process otherwise used to provide information to the JTTFs. Because an engaged and vigilant public is vital to our efforts to protect our communities, we have also continued our nationwide expansion of the If You See Something, Say Something public awareness campaign. This campaign encourages Americans to contact law enforcement if they see something suspicious or potentially dangerous. To date, we have expanded the campaign to Federal buildings, transportation systems, universities, professional and amateur sports leagues and teams, entertainment venues, some of our Nations largest retailers, as well as local law enforcement. Most recently DHS has partnered with sports leagues such as the National Football League, Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Hockey League, U.S. Golf, and the U.S. Tennis Association, to promote public awareness of potential indicators of terrorism at sporting events. Countering Violent Extremism At DHS, we believe that local authorities and community members are often best able to identify individuals or groups residing within their communities exhibiting dangerous behaviorsand intervenebefore they commit an act of violence. Countering violent extremism (CVE) is a shared responsibility, and DHS continues to work with a broad range of partners to gain a better understanding of the behaviors, tactics, and other indicators that could point to terrorist activity, and the best ways to mitigate or prevent that activity.

The Departments efforts to counter violent extremism are three-fold. We are working to better understand the phenomenon of violent extremism through extensive analysis and research on the behaviors and indicators of violent extremism. We are bolstering efforts to address the dynamics of violent extremism by strengthening partnerships with state, local, and international partners. And, we are expanding support for information-driven, community-oriented policing efforts through training and grants. All of this work is consistent with the Administrations CVE Strategy released in August 2011 and the CVE Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States released in December 2011. As part of our CVE approach, DHS has conducted extensive analysis and research to better understand the threat of violent extremism in order to support state and local law enforcement, fusion centers, and community partners with the knowledge needed to identify behaviors and indicators associated with acts of violent extremism. In addition, over the past year, DHS has worked closely with state and local partners, including the State and Provincial Police Academy Directors (SPPADS), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Major City Chiefs Association (MCC), the Major City Sheriffs Association (MCSA), as well as NCTC, DOJ, and the FBI to develop training for frontline law enforcement officers on behaviors potentially indicative of violent extremist activity. DHS has also created a new CVE Webportal, launched on August 31, 2012, for a select group of law enforcement through the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN). The purpose of this portal is to provide law enforcement with CVE training resources and materials, as well as a central portal for communication and information sharing on CVE. DHS aims to make the Webportal available to law enforcement nationwide by the end of September 2012. Finally, DHS has supported State and Local CVE activities through grants. DHS publicly released the CVE Training Guidance and Best Practices, which was sent to all state and local partner grantors and grantees thereby tying CVE to grant guidance policy on October 7, 2011. DHS also incorporated language into FY 2012 grant guidance that prioritizes CVE and allows funds to be used in support of state and local CVE efforts. Active Shooter Threats There have been a series of international and domestic violent extremist incidents over the past several years that have involved active shooters, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks; shootings in 2009 at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Fort Hood, and a military recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas; and the 2011 attacks in Utoya, Norway. The recent shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was carried out by an individual with a history of involvement in the white supremacist extremist movement, although his motives remain unknown. Attacks by

active shooters with no known ties to extremist movements also have caused significant loss of life and injury, including most recently in Aurora, Colorado. Preventing and responding to active shooter threats is a priority for state and local law enforcement authorities, regardless of the motivation behind the attack. Where there is any active shooter scenario, prevention is a priority, response efforts will be the same, and the impact on the community is significant. This is an area in which DHS, in partnership with the FBI, has been very active. DHS is working to better understand the behaviors and indicators that lead to these acts of violence, the tactics used, and the actions that can be taken to help prevent them in the future. A central goal of our efforts is to build capabilities within state and local law enforcement communities to effectively respond to active shooter threats. As part of this effort, we have worked with the FBI to produce both classified and unclassified case studies about past active shooter events and have made them available to state and local law enforcement. These case studies include behaviors and indicators, so that front line personnel will be better able to recognize pre-incident indicators of an emerging active shooter threat. We have incorporated this information in the training materials pertaining to CVE. Additionally, the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection and FEMA conduct active shooter trainings for state and local law enforcement and for the private sector. DHSs Active Shooter Awareness Program provides resources to help public and private-sector security managers train their workforce and enhance their facilities preparedness and response to an active shooter scenario. Since the programs inception in December 2008, more than 5,000 law enforcement officers and other partners have participated. FEMA, through Louisiana State University, a member of the National Domestic Preparedness consortium, also offers the Law Enforcement Active Shooter Emergency Response (LASER) course which addresses the technical aspects of planning and implementing a rapid law enforcement deployment to an active shooter incident. In addition, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) has been instrumental in preparing our Nations state, local, and Federal law enforcement officers to respond effectively to an active shooter incident should one occur. FLETC has trained over 4,000 U.S. law enforcement officers in active shooter response and active shooter response instructor training. These newly trained instructors have gone on to train thousands more. FLETC also has reached out to its law enforcement partners that have experienced active shooter incidents to develop lessons learned/lesson anticipated that help to continually update and improve the tactics for active shooter response programs. DHS also has developed an online Independent Study Course titled Active Shooter: What You Can Do through FEMAs Emergency Management Institute. This course provides guidance to individuals, including managers and employees, to prepare to respond to an active shooter

situation. Nearly 134,000 government and private-sector participants have completed this training since it was released in March 2011. In collaboration with the FBI and NCTC, DHS and FEMA have organized a two-day Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS) to review and improve operational capabilities, response resources, and information sharing among Federal, state, local, and private sector partners. This nationwide initiative is designed to increase the ability of local jurisdictions to prepare for, protect against, and respond to coordinated terrorist attacks against multiple targets. Since 2011, workshops have been conducted in Boston, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Houston, Nashville, Denver, and Los Angeles. Modified workshops were also conducted in Tampa and Charlotte in support of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The next scheduled workshop is in Las Vegas this October. Because faith-based communities have been the targets of violence, DHS continues to maintain regular contact with faith-based communities and helps coordinate rapid incident communications efforts. One recent example includes the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) activation of the Incident Community Coordination Team (ICCT) on August 6, 2012, following the shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. During the call, leaders from Sikh, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and interfaith communities and organizations discussed the shooting with senior Government officials from the White House, DOJ, FBI, and DHS. More than 100 participants from across the country joined the ICCT call to share information about response activities and resources available, and to address community concerns. Through the Office of Infrastructure Protection, DHS also has made the Active Shooter Awareness Program available to faith-based communities, as well as provided resources to ensure that their facilities are safe and secure through site assessments, threat briefings, and trainings. Protecting Our Aviation System Threats to our aviation system remain active and continue to evolve. Consequently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is working internationally and with the private sector to continue to improve security screening, while simultaneously facilitating lawful travel and trade. We are continuing to strengthen protection of our aviation sector through a layered detection system focusing on risk-based screening, enhanced targeting, and information-sharing efforts to interdict threats and dangerous people at the earliest point possible. The Department is focused on measures to shift aviation security from a one size fits all approach for passenger screening to a risk-based approach. In doing so, TSA utilizes a range of measures, both seen and unseen, as part of its layered security system - from state of the art

explosives detection, to using Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) units and canine teams to screen passengers and cargo, to expediting screening for known travelers. Through Secure Flight, TSA is now pre-screening 100 percent of all travelers flying within, to, or from the United States against terrorist watchlists before passengers receive their boarding passes. In our increasingly interconnected world, we also work beyond our own airports, partnering with our Federal agencies and countries to protect both national and economic security. For example, through the Pre-Departure Targeting Program, Immigration Advisory Program and enhanced in-bound targeting operations, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has improved its ability to identify high-risk travelers who are likely to be inadmissible into the United States and make recommendations to commercial carriers to deny boarding before a plane departs. Through the Visa Security Program, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deployed trained special agents overseas to high-risk visa activity posts to identify potential terrorist and criminal threats before they reach the United States. Through preclearance agreements, CBP Officers deployed overseas inspect passengers abroad through the same process a traveler would undergo upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry, allowing us to extend our borders outward while facilitating a more efficient passenger experience. Finally, our continued use, analysis, and sharing of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data has allowed us to better identify passengers who merit our attention before they depart for the U.S. On July 1, 2012, a new agreement with the European Union on the transfer of PNR data entered into force, marking an important milestone in our collective efforts to protect the international aviation system from terrorism and other threats. As we have taken these actions to strengthen security, we also have focused on expediting lawful trade and travel for the millions of people who rely on our aviation system every day. One key way we have done this is through expansion of trusted traveler programs. For instance, the Global Entry program, which is managed by CBP, is allowing us to expedite entry into the United States for pre-approved, low-risk air travelers. More than one million trusted traveler program members are able to use the Global Entry kiosks, and we are expanding the program both domestically and internationally as part of the Administrations efforts to foster increased travel and tourism. In addition to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, Mexican nationals can now enroll in Global Entry, and Global Entrys benefits are also available to Dutch citizens enrolled in the Privium program; South Korean citizens enrolled in the Smart Entry Service program; Canadian citizens and residents through the NEXUS program; and citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Qatar through limited pilot programs. In addition, we have signed agreements

with Australia, New Zealand, Panama, and Israel to allow their qualifying citizens to participate in Global Entry. We are continuing to expand the program both domestically and internationally as part of the Administrations efforts to foster travel and tourism, which supports the Presidents Executive Order 13597 on Travel and Tourism. U.S. citizen participants in Global Entry are also eligible for TSA Pre a passenger prescreening initiative. TSA Pre is part of the agencys ongoing effort to implement riskbased security concepts that enhance security by focusing on travelers the agency knows least about. More than 2 million passengers have received expedited screening through TSA Pre security lanes since the initiative began last fall. TSA Pre is now available in 25 airports for select U.S. citizens traveling on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways and members of CBP Trusted Traveler programs. TSA has expanded TSA Pre benefits to U.S. military active duty members traveling through Ronald Reagan Washington National and Seattle-Tacoma international airports. In addition to TSA Pre, TSA has implemented other risk-based security measures including modified screening procedures for passengers 12 and younger and 75 and older. Visa Waiver Program With our partners overseas, we have acted to strengthen the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), a program that boosts our economy by facilitating legitimate travel for individuals traveling to the United States for tourism or business. According to the Commerce Department, tourism alone supported 7.6 million U.S. jobs last year, and tourism revenue in early 2012 was up 14 percent from the previous year. The VWP is an essential driver of international tourism because it allows eligible nationals of 36 countries to travel to the United States without a visa and remain in our country for up to 90 days. Almost two-thirds of international travelers come to the U.S. from VWP countries. Additionally, since its inception in the mid-1980s, VWP has also become an essential tool for increasing security standards, advancing information sharing, strengthening international relationships, and promoting legitimate travel to the United States. Over the last several years, DHS has focused on bringing VWP countries into compliance with information sharing agreement requirements of The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (9/11 Act), Pub. L. No.110-53. As of January 2012, all VWP countries have completed an exchange of diplomatic notes or an equivalent mechanism for the requirement to enter into an agreement to share information on lost and stolen passports with the United States through INTERPOL or other designated means. DHS, in collaboration with the DOJ, has concluded Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC) agreements, or their equivalent, with 35 VWP countries and two VWP aspirants. DHS, along with the Departments of Justice and State, continues to work closely with the remaining

country to sign a PCSC agreement. These agreements facilitate the sharing of information about terrorists and serious criminals. The U.S. government has also concluded negotiations on arrangements with all VWP countries for the exchange of terrorism screening information. Additionally, DHS developed the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) as a proactive online system to determine whether an individual is eligible to travel to the United States under the VWP, and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or national security risks. We support carefully managed expansion of the VWP to countries that meet the statutory requirements, and are willing and able to enter into a close security relationship with the United States. To this end, we support current bi-partisan efforts by the Congress, such as the proposed JOLT Act of 2012, to expand VWP participation and to promote international travel and tourism to the United States while maintaining our strong commitment to security. Additionally, as part of the Presidents recent Executive Order, we are working with international partners to meet existing requirements and prepare for further expansion of the VWP. Overstays and Exit Capabilities Over the past year, we have worked to better detect and deter those who overstay their lawful period of admission through the enhanced biographic program. The ability to identify and sanction overstays is linked to our ability to determine who has arrived and departed from the United States. By matching arrival and departure records, and using additional data collected by DHS, we can better determine who has overstayed their lawful period of admission. In May 2011, as part of Phase 1 of the enhanced biographic effort, DHS began a coordinated effort to vet all potential overstay records against Intelligence Community and DHS holdings for national security and public safety concerns. Using those parameters, we reviewed the backlog of 1.6 million overstay leads within the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program and referred leads based on national security and public safety priorities to ICE for further investigation. Through limited automated means, DHS cross-referenced additional overstay leads with DHS location and immigration holdings, closing additional records by confirming changes in immigration information or travel history that had not yet been recorded. Previously, these records would not have been examined, except in instances when resources allowed it. Now, we are vetting all overstays for public safety and national security concerns, and DHS is also conducting automated reviews for changes in immigration status or travel history. This is performed on a recurrent basis. In July, Congress approved DHSs plan to continue building its enhanced biographic capability. DHS is implementing Phase 2 of this effort, and expects to have these enhancements in place by

early 2013. Once completed, this initiative will significantly strengthen our existing capability to identify and target for enforcement action those who have overstayed their authorized period of admission, and who represent a public safety and/or national security threat by incorporating data contained within law enforcement, military, and intelligence repositories. This strategy also will also enhance our ability to identify individual overstays; provide the State Department with information to support visa revocation, prohibit future VWP travel for those who overstay, and place lookouts for individuals, in accordance with existing Federal laws; establish greater efficiencies to our Visa Security Program; and enhance the core components of an entry-exit and overstay program. Concurrently, S&T is working to establish criteria and promote research for emerging technologies that would provide the ability to capture biometrics and develop a biometric exit capability at a significantly lower operational cost than is currently available. S&T is collaborating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on this initiative. Lastly, as part of the Beyond the Border Action Plan signed by President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Harper in December 2011, we are creating an exit program on the United States northern border. Under the plan, the United States and Canada will exchange entry records, so that an entry to one country essentially becomes an exit record from the other. Protecting Surface Transportation Beyond aviation, we have worked with Federal agencies and other government partners, transportation sector entities, and companies across the United States to enhance security of surface transportation infrastructure through risk-based security assessments, critical infrastructure hardening, and close partnerships with state and local law enforcement partners. Because of its open access architecture, surface transportation has a fundamentally different operational environment than aviation. As a result, our approach must be different. To protect surface transportation, we have conducted compliance inspections throughout the freight rail and mass transit domains; critical facility security reviews for pipeline facilities; comprehensive mass transit assessments that focus on high-risk transit agencies; and Baseline Assessments for Security Enhancement conducted in multiple modes of transportation on a continuous basis to elevate standards and identify security gaps. We continue to support surface transportation security through the deployment of 37 Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams, which include 12 multi-modal teams added in FY 2012. VIPR teams are composed of personnel with expertise in inspection, behavior detection, security screening, and law enforcement for random, unpredictable deployments throughout the transportation sector to detect, deter, and prevent potential terrorist acts and disrupt pre-operational surveillance or planning activities.

These efforts have been supported by grant funding to harden assets, improve situational awareness, and build national capabilities to prevent and respond to threats and incidents across the transportation sector. Global Supply Chain Security Securing the global supply chain system is integral to securing both the lives of people around the world, and maintaining the stability of the global economy. We must work to strengthen the security, efficiency, and resilience of this critical system. Supply chains must be able to operate effectively, in a secure and efficient fashion, in a time of crisis, recover quickly from disruptions, and continue to facilitate international trade and travel. We know that a crisis or vulnerability in any part of the world has the ability to impact the flow of goods and people thousands of miles away. Beyond loss of life and physical damage, these events can cause large economic consequences. Therefore, our economy is dependent on our ability to secure and facilitate the flow of people and goods to and from our shores. Within the American economy, trade with our international partners accounts for roughly one quarter of our GDP. This year alone, DHS will help facilitate about $2 trillion in legitimate trade, while enforcing U.S. trade laws that protect the economy, the health, and the safety of the American people. Earlier this year, the Administration announced the U.S. National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security to set a Government-wide vision of our goals, approach, and priorities to strengthen the global supply chain system. The National Strategy establishes two explicit goals: promoting the efficient and secure movement of goods and fostering resilient supply chain systems. As we work to achieve these goals, we will be guided by the overarching principles of risk management and collaborative engagement with key stakeholders who also have key supply chain roles and responsibilities. DHS is now working in close partnership with other Federal departments and agencies to translate the high-level guidance contained in the Strategy into concrete actions. We are focusing our immediate efforts on the priority action areas identified in the Strategy. In addition to the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, DHS continues to advance a range of other measures and programs to strengthen different components of this vital system in partnership with multilateral organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the World Customs Organization (WCO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum as well as bilaterally with trading partners.

Just last week in Montreal, I attended ICAOs ministerial conference on aviation security, where I met again with the Secretary General and counterpart ministers and reached an agreement regarding global air cargo security standards. We are also working closely with industry and foreign government partners to identify and address high-risk shipments as early in the shipping process as possible by collecting and analyzing advance electronic commercial data. This allows DHS to make risk informed decisions about what cargo is safe to be loaded onto vessels and aircraft prior to their departure from a foreign port and facilitates the clearance of those shipments upon their arrival in the United States. Through the Container Security Initiative (CSI), CBP works with host government customs services to examine high-risk maritime containerized cargo at foreign seaports, before they are loaded on board vessels destined for the United States. CSI currently operates at a total of 58 ports in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin and Central America covering approximately 80 percent of all maritime containerized cargo imported into the United States. In addition, cargo that does not pass through a CSI port is screened at the National Targeting Center-Cargo and scanned by specialized CBP units located at the first port of arrival within the United States. Currently, CBP has 398 Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) at priority seaports in the United States, through which approximately 99 percent of all containerized cargo volume passes. S&T is also pursuing a number of innovative approaches to supply chain and cargo security, including maintaining maritime cargo and container integrity; tracking containers and conveyances; and, detecting and interdicting dangerous and illicit goods. Currently, S&T is piloting a land-based container and conveyance security pilot with our trading partners in Canada and Mexico. In FY 2013 we plan to expand the pilot program by conducting a maritime cargo and container security pilot with our EU colleagues. In the aviation environment, we are working with leaders from global shipping companies and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to develop preventive measures, including terrorism awareness training for employees and vetting personnel with access to cargo. We are reviewing our foreign partners cargo screening to determine whether their programs provide a level of security commensurate with U.S. air cargo security standards. Those who meet these requirements are officially recognized to conduct screening for cargo traveling to the U.S. We are also building partnerships, through mutual recognition arrangements, with foreign governments maintaining industry partnership programs compatible with CBPs Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism. We signed a Mutual Recognition Decision with the European Union in May which will strengthen international supply chain security and facilitate trade with the EU.

DHS is also focused on preventing the exploitation of the global supply chain by those seeking to use the system to transport dangerous, illicit cargo, contraband, contaminated or counterfeit products. For example, under Program Global Shield, we are working with more than 90 countries to prevent the illegal theft or diversion of precursor chemicals that can be used to make Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs. Through these efforts, we have already seized more than 127 metric tons of these deadly materials. DHS, through ICE and CBP, also continues to investigate U.S. export control law violations, including those related to military items, controlled dual-use commodities, and sanctioned or embargoed countries. We are committed to ensuring that foreign adversaries do not illegally obtain U.S. military products and sensitive technology, including weapons of mass destruction and their components, or attempt to move these items through the global supply chain. In FY 2011, ICE initiated 1,780 new investigations into illicit procurement activities, made 583 criminal arrests, and accounted for 2,332 seizures valued at $18.9 million. ICE also manages and operates the Export Enforcement Coordination Center (E2C2), an interagency hub for streamlining and coordinating export enforcement activities and exchanging information and intelligence. Securing and Managing Our Borders DHS secures the Nations air, land, and sea borders to prevent illegal activity while facilitating lawful travel and trade. The Departments border security and management efforts focus on three interrelated goals: effectively securing U.S. air, land, and sea borders; safeguarding and streamlining lawful trade and travel; and disrupting and, in coordination with other Federal agencies, dismantling transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. Southwest Border To secure our Nations Southwest border, we have continued to deploy unprecedented amounts of manpower, resources, and technology, while expanding partnerships with Federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local partners, as well as the Government of Mexico. We have increased the number of Border Patrol agents nationwide from approximately 10,000 in 2004 to more than 21,000 today with nearly 18,500 boots on the ground along the Southwest border. Working in coordination with state and other Federal agencies, we have deployed a quarter of all ICE operational personnel to the Southwest border region the most ever to dismantle criminal organizations along the border. We have doubled the number of ICE personnel assigned to Border Enforcement Security Task Forces (BEST), which work to dismantle criminal organizations along the border. We have tripled deployments of Border Liaison Officers, who facilitate cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities on investigations and enforcement operations, including

drug trafficking, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration. We also have increased the number of intelligence analysts working along the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition, we have deployed dual detection canine teams as well as non-intrusive inspection systems, Mobile Surveillance Systems, Remote Video Surveillance Systems, thermal imaging systems, radiation portal monitors, and license plate readers to the Southwest border. These technologies, combined with increased manpower and infrastructure, give our personnel better awareness of the border environment so they can more quickly act to resolve potential threats or illegal activity. We also are screening southbound rail and vehicle traffic, looking for the illegal weapons and cash that are helping fuel the cartel violence in Mexico. We also have completed 651 miles of fencing out of nearly 652 miles mandated by Congress as identified by Border Patrol field commanders, including 299 miles of vehicle barriers and 352 miles of pedestrian fence. To enhance cooperation among local, tribal, territorial, state and Federal law enforcement agencies, we have provided more than $202 million in Operation Stonegarden funding to Southwest border law enforcement agencies over the past four years. Our work along the border has included effective support from the Department of Defense (DOD). In addition to continuing support from DODs Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF)North, in 2010, President Obama authorized the temporary deployment of up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the Southwest Border to contribute additional capabilities and capacity to assist law enforcement agencies as a bridge to longer-term deployment of border surveillance technology and equipment that will strengthen our ability to identify and interdict the smuggling of people, drugs, illegal weapons, and money. Beginning in March 2012, DODs National Guard support to CBP began to transition from ground support to air support, essentially moving from boots on the ground to boots in the air with state of the art aerial assets equipped with the latest detection and monitoring capabilities. These aerial assets supplement the CBP Office of Air and Marine aerial assets and support the Border Patrol's ability to operate in diverse environments, expand our field of vision in places with challenging terrain, and help us establish a greater visible presence from a distance, which increases deterrence. And this year, CBP introduced an extremely effective new aviation surveillance technology to monitor the border. The U.S. Army has loaned CBP a new electronic sensor system. CBP flies Predator B unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) with this new system on the Southwest border. This system provides DHS with the first broad area, electronic sensor system, with capabilities that far exceed those of the ground based fixed or mobile systems. The results of these comprehensive and coordinated efforts have been significant. Border Patrol apprehensionsa key indicator of illegal immigrationhave decreased 53 percent in the last

three years and have decreased 80 percent from what they were at their peak. Indeed, illegal immigration attempts have not been this low since 1971. Violent crime in U.S. border communities has also remained flat or fallen over the past decade according to FBI Uniform Crime Report data, and statistics have shown that some of the safest communities in America are along the border. From FYs 2009 to 2011, DHS seized 74 percent more currency, 41 percent more drugs, and 159 percent more weapons along the Southwest border as compared to FYs 2006 to 2008. To further deter individuals from illegally crossing our Southwest border, we also directed ICE to prioritize the apprehension of recent border crossers and repeat immigration violators, and to support and supplement Border Patrol operations. Between FYs 2009 and 2011, ICE made over 30,936 criminal arrests along the Southwest border, including 19,563 arrests of drug smugglers and 4,151 arrests of human smugglers. In addition to our efforts to strengthen border security, we made great strides in expediting legal trade and travel, working with local leaders to update infrastructure and reduce wait times at our Southwest border ports of entry. Along the Southwest border, new initiatives have included outbound infrastructure improvements and port hardening, which when completed, will expand our outbound inspection capabilities, enhance port security, and increase officer safety. We also have implemented Active Lane Management, which leverages Ready Lanes, Dedicated Commuter Lanes, and LED signage to dynamically monitor primary vehicle lanes and redesignate lanes as traffic conditions and infrastructure limitations warrant. These efforts are not only expediting legitimate trade, they are also stopping contraband from entering and leaving the country. In FY 2011, DHS interdicted goods representing more than $1.1 billion in Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price. Further, the value of consumer safety seizures including pharmaceuticals totaled more than $60 million, representing a 41 percent increase over FY 2010. Northern Border To protect the Northern border, we have continued to deploy technology and resources, invest in port of entry improvements to enhance security, and deepen our strong partnership with Canada. For instance, CBP expanded unmanned aerial surveillance coverage along the Northern border into eastern Washington, now covering 950 miles of the Northern border. In 2011, CBP Office of Air and Marine provided nearly 1,500 hours of unmanned aerial surveillance along the Northern Border. In 2011, CBP opened the Operations Integration Center in Detroita multi-agency communications center for DHS, and other Federal, state, local, and Canadian law enforcement agencies. The Operations Integration Center increases information sharing capabilities leading to

seizures of drugs, money, and illegal contraband along the northern border within the Detroit Sector. ICE has four BEST units along the northern border. These units, including representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Border Services Agency and numerous other provincial Canadian police departments, enhance coordination of U.S.-Canada joint interdictions and investigations, resulting in increased security for both countries. Recognizing the continued importance of the U.S.-Canada partnership, President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper released the joint declaration, Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, on February 4, 2011. This declaration committed the United States and Canada to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries. Beyond the Border includes multiple Cabinet-level departments, reflecting a true interagency effort within each government and in a bi-national capacity. Our countries have committed to improving information sharing while respecting each countrys respective constitutional and legal frameworks. Specific examples of information sharing initiatives under the Beyond the Border Action Plan include efforts to:

Share risk assessment/targeting scenarios, and enhance real time notifications regarding the arrival of individuals on U.S. security watchlists; Provide access to information on persons who have been removed or who have been refused admission or a visa from either country, as well as those who have been removed from their respective countries for criminal reasons; and Implement a systematic and automated biographic information sharing capability by 2013 and biometric information sharing capability by 2014 to reduce identity fraud and enhance screening decisions, and in support of other administrative and enforcement actions.

Together, these initiatives will help improve immigration and border processes and decision making, establish and verify the identities of travelers, and permit screening to be conducted at the earliest point possible. To support the Beyond the Border Action Plan, in June we released the DHS Northern Border Strategy, the first unified strategy to guide the departments policies and operations along the U.S.-Canada border. Through this strategy, we will continue to work to improve information sharing and analysis within DHS, as well as with our partners. We will enhance coordination of U.S.-Canada joint interdictions and investigations, deploy technologies to aid joint security efforts along the border, and continue to update infrastructure to facilitate travel and trade. We also look forward to continuing to deepen partnerships with Federal, state, local, tribal, private

sector, and Canadian partners that are so critical to the security, resiliency, and management of our Northern border. Maritime With more than 350 ports and 95,000 miles of coastline, the U.S. maritime domain is unique in its scope and diversity. The Coast Guard provides maritime security using a major cutter and patrol boat fleet to respond to threats, and launch boats and aircraft to maintain a vigilant presence over the seas. Closer to shore, Coast Guard helicopters small cutters and boats monitor, track, interdict, and board vessels. In the Nations ports, the Coast Guard and CBP, along with our Federal, state, local, and tribal partners, working in concert with other port stakeholders, monitor critical infrastructure, conduct vessel escorts and patrols, and inspects vessels and facilities. The U.S. Coast Guard plays an integral role in DHSs border enforcement strategy through its maritime operations as part of JIATF-South, the U.S. Southern Command entity that coordinates integrated interagency counter drug operations in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific. In FY 2011, Coast Guard major cutters and other assets removed over 75 metric tons of cocaine, more than 17 metric tons of marijuana, detained 191 suspected smugglers, and seized 40 vessels. Additionally, Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments are deployed aboard U.S. Navy and Allied assets to support detection, monitoring, interdiction and apprehension operations. CBP Office of Air and Marine P-3 and Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft have also been an integral part of successful counter-narcotic missions operating in the Source and Transit Zones in coordination with JIATF-South. Collectively the efforts to interdict drugs in the Source and Transit Zones helped to control the flow of drugs to the Southwest border. Robust interagency cooperation and strong international partnerships also helped the Coast Guard interdict 2,474 migrants at sea in FY 2011. Safeguarding and Securing Cyberspace Our daily life, economic vitality, and national security depend on a safe, secure, and resilient cyberspace. A vast array of interdependent IT networks, systems, services, and resources are critical to communication, travel, powering our homes, running our economy, and obtaining government services. While we are more network dependent than ever before, increased interconnectivity increases the risk of theft, fraud, and abuse. Cyber incidents have increased significantly over the last decade and the United States continues to confront a dangerous combination of known and unknown vulnerabilities in cyberspace, strong and rapidly expanding adversary capabilities, and limited threat and vulnerability awareness. There have been instances of theft and compromise of sensitive information from

both government and private sector networks. Last year, the DHS U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) received more than 100,000 incident reports, and released more than 5,000 actionable cybersecurity alerts and information products. DHS is the Federal governments lead agency for securing civilian government computer systems and works with our industry and Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government partners to secure critical infrastructure and information systems. DHS analyzes and mitigates cyber threats and vulnerabilities; distributes threat warnings; provides solutions to critical research and development needs; and coordinates the vulnerability, mitigation, and consequence management response to cyber incidents to ensure that our computers, networks, and information systems remain safe. DHS also works with Federal agencies to secure unclassified Federal civilian government networks and works with owners and operators of critical infrastructure to secure their networks through risk assessment, mitigation, and incident response capabilities. With respect to critical infrastructure, DHS and the sector specific agencies work together with the private sector to help secure the key systems upon which Americans rely, such as the financial sector, the power grid, water systems, and transportation networks. Protecting critical infrastructure requires taking an integrated approach toward physical and cyber security and ensuring that we can utilize our established partnerships with the private sector to address cyber security concerns. We do this by sharing actionable cyber threat information with the private sector, helping companies to identify vulnerabilities before a cyber incident occurs, and providing forensic and remediation assistance to help response and recovery after we learn of a cyber incident. In addition, DHS S&T works collaboratively across Federal agencies, private industry, academic networks and institutions, and global information technology owners and operators to research, develop, test, and transition deployable solutions to secure the Nations current and future cyber and critical infrastructures. DHS, in collaboration with the Department of State and other departments/agencies, also works with international partners on cyber threats and other cybersecurity issues, as appropriate. To combat cyber crime, DHS leverages the skills and resources of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and ICE, who investigate cyber criminals and work with the Department of Justice, which prosecutes them. Within DHS, cyber crime investigations are directly led by the USSS and involve numerous partners at the Federal, state and local level as well as the private sector. In FY 2011 alone, USSS prevented $1.6 billion in potential losses through cyber crime investigations. Additionally, ICE HSI cyber crime investigations relating to child exploitation in FY 2011 resulted in 1,460 criminal arrests, 1,104 indictments and 928 convictions. One significant child exploitation investigation conducted by ICE HSI was Operation Delego, which resulted in prosecutors bringing charges against 72 individuals for their alleged participation in

an international criminal network that sought the sexual abuse of children and the creation and dissemination of child pornography. To date, 43 of these individuals have been convicted. DHS recognizes that partnership and collaboration are crucial to ensuring that all Americans take responsibility for their actions online. To that end, we are continuing to grow the Departments Stop.Think.Connect. Campaign, which is a year-round national public awareness effort designed to engage and challenge Americans to join the effort to practice and promote safe online practices. The Department of Defense is a key partner in our cybersecurity mission. In 2010, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to formalize the interaction between DHS and DOD, and to protect against threats to our critical civilian and military computer systems and networks. Congress mirrored this division of responsibilities in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012. We are currently working with the Defense Industrial Base to exchange actionable information about malicious activity. As much as we are doing, we must do even more. All sides agree that Federal and private networks must be better protected, and information about cybersecurity threats must be shared more easily while ensuring that privacy and civil liberties are protected through a customized framework of information handling policies and oversight. DHS is committed to ensuring cyberspace supports a secure and resilient infrastructure, enables innovation and prosperity, and protects privacy and other civil liberties by design. The Administration sent Congress a legislative package in May 2011 that included the new tools needed by homeland security, law enforcement, intelligence, military and private sector professionals to secure the Nation, while including essential safeguards to preserve the privacy rights and civil liberties of citizens. Since that time, Administration officials have testified at 17 hearings on cybersecurity legislation and presented over 100 briefings, including two allMember Senate briefings and one all-Member House briefing. The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 would have begun to address vulnerabilities in the Nations critical infrastructure systems. This legislation was the result of years of work. It reflected input from the Administration, the private sector, privacy experts, and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. Numerous current and former homeland and national security officials had also expressed the importance and urgency of this legislation. The American people expect us to secure the country from the growing danger of cyber threats and ensure the Nations critical infrastructure is protected. The threats to our cybersecurity are real, they are serious, and they are urgent. We will continue to work with the Congress and this Committee to pass strong cybersecurity legislation to give DHS and our partners the tools and authorities we need to continue to protect cyberspace while also protecting privacy and civil rights.

Ensuring Robust Privacy and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Safeguards The Department builds privacy and civil rights and civil liberties protections into its operations, policies, programs, and technology deployments from the outset of their development. The DHS Privacy Office the first statutorily required privacy office of any Federal agency partners with every DHS component to assess policies, programs, systems, technologies, and rulemakings for privacy risks, and recommends privacy protections and methods for handling personally identifiable information. To further integrate privacy and reinforce the headquarters privacy office, a team of privacy officers are embedded into the operational components throughout the Department. DHSs Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties plays a key role in the Departments mission to secure the Nation while preserving individual freedoms and represents the Departments commitment to the idea that core civil rights valuesliberty, fairness, and equality under the laware a vital part of America, and that these values provide a bulwark against those who threaten our safety and security. Since its inception, CRCL has expanded its participation in programs and activities throughout the Department and continued its efforts to promote civil rights and civil liberties. For example, CRCL collaborates with ICE on detention reform and other immigration-related efforts, and works with TSA to ensure that evolving aviation security measures are respectful of civil rights and civil liberties. CRCLs community engagement efforts include a wide variety of stakeholders and organizations through regular roundtables and other tools across the country. CRCL has also expanded its training capacity and worked closely with the DHS Privacy Office and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to offer civil rights and civil liberties training for fusion centers, as well as training to a number of the Departments Federal, state, and local partners. Conclusion While America is stronger and more resilient as a result of these efforts, threats from terrorism persist and continue to evolve. Todays threats do not come from any one individual or group. They may originate in distant lands or local neighborhoods. They may be as simple as a homemade bomb or as sophisticated as a biological threat or coordinated cyber attack. As threats to our Nation evolve, DHS must also evolve. Thus, we continue to remain vigilant, protecting our communities from terrorist threats, while promoting the movement of goods and people and maintaining our commitment to civil rights and civil liberties.

I thank the Committee for your continued partnership and guidance as together we work to keep our Nation safe. I look forward to your questions. Review Date: September 17, 2012 Domestic Terrorism The Sovereign Citizen Movement 04/13/10 Domestic terrorismAmericans attacking Americans because of U.S.-based extremist ideologiescomes in many forms in our post 9/11 world. To help educate the public, weve previously outlined two separate domestic terror threatsecoterrorists/animal rights extremists and lone offenders. Today, we look at a third threatthe sovereign citizen extremist movement. Sovereign citizens are Some examples of illegal license plates anti-government extremists who believe that even used by so-called sovereign citizens. though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or sovereign from the United States. As a result, they believe they dont have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement. This causes all kinds of problemsand crimes. For example, many sovereign citizens dont pay their taxes. They hold illegal courts that issue warrants for judges and police officers. They clog up the court system with frivolous lawsuits and liens against public officials to harass them. And they use fake money orders, personal checks, and the like at government agencies, banks, and businesses. Thats just the beginning. Not every action taken in the name of the sovereign citizen ideology is a crime, but the list of illegal actions committed by these groups, cells, and individuals is extensive (and puts them squarely on our radar). In addition to the above, sovereign citizens:

Commit murder and physical assault; Threaten judges, law enforcement professionals, and government personnel; Impersonate police officers and diplomats; Use fake currency, passports, license plates, and drivers licenses; and

Engineer various white-collar scams, including mortgage fraud and so-called redemption schemes.

Sovereign citizens are often confused with extremists from the militia movement. But while sovereign citizens sometimes use or buy illegal weapons, guns are secondary to their antigovernment, anti-tax beliefs. On the other hand, guns and paramilitary training are paramount to militia groups. During the past year, weve had a number of investigative successes involving sovereign citizens. A few recent cases:

In Sacramento, two sovereign citizens were convicted of running a fraudulent insurance scheme. Operating outside state insurance regulatory guidelines, the men set up their own company and sold lifetime memberships to customers, promising to pay any accident claims against their members. The company collected millions of dollars, but paid out very few claims. More In Kansas City, three sovereign citizens were convicted of taking part in a conspiracy using phony diplomatic credentials. They charged customers between $450 and $2,000 for a diplomatic identification card, which would bestow upon the holder sovereign statusmeaning they would enjoy diplomatic immunity from paying taxes and from being stopped or arrested by law enforcement. More In Las Vegas, four men affiliated with the sovereign citizen movement were arrested by the Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force on federal money laundering, tax evasion, and weapons charges. The investigation involved an undercover operation, with two of the suspects allegedly laundering more than a million dollars from what they believed was a bank fraud scheme. More

You can help. First, be crime smartdont fall for the bogus claims and scams of sovereign citizens. And second, if you have information on any suspicious activities or crimes, please contact us. Resources: - Lone Offenders - Eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists - Anarchist extremism - Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: Fact Sheet on Sovereign Citizen Movement Domestic Terrorism In the Post-9/11 Era 09/07/09

Nothing before or since has come close to the terror attacks of 9/11 in terms of lives lost, scope, and impact. And we know that al Qaeda led and inspired operatives still seek to strike our homeland including with weapons of mass destruction. Which is why globally-fueled terrorism continues to occupy much of our time and attention these days. And yet, as we were reminded by shootings in Kansas, Arkansas, and the nations capital over just 11 days this spring, the threat of domestic terrorAmericans attacking Americans based on U.S.-based extremist ideologiesis alive and well.

Todays domestic terror threats run the gamut, from hate-filled white supremaciststo highly destructive eco-terroriststo violence-prone anti-government extremiststo radical separatist groups. One particularly insidious concern that touches all forms of domestic extremism is the lone offendera single individual driven to hateful attacks based on a particular set of beliefs without a larger groups knowledge or support. In some cases, these lone offenders may have tried to join a group but were kicked out for being too radical or simply left the group because they felt it wasnt extreme or violent enough. We believe most domestic attacks are carried out by lone offenders to promote their own grievances and agendas. Sometimes, cases are prosecuted at the local level because the crime isnt a violation of federal law. In those instances, we support our partners any way we cansharing intelligence, offering forensic assistance, conducting behavioral analysis, etc. As with all forms of extremism, preventing homegrown attacks before they are hatched is our overriding goal. Its an especially tall order given the civil liberties we all enjoy as American citizens, including the right to free speech. Hate and anger are not crimes; neither are hard-line and poisonous ideologies. Its only when actions by groups or individuals cross the line into threats, the actual use of force or violence, or other law-breaking activities that we can investigate. That goes for lone offenders, whose high degrees of autonomy make them difficult to stop before they strike. As a result, were not shy about applying our full suite of anti-terror tools and capabilities to threats of homegrown terrorism. That includes our time-tested investigative techniques such as the use of surveillance and informants as well as the new intelligence skills and informationsharing channels weve cultivated since 9/11.

Members of our Evidence Response Team set up their crime scene equipment after the June 10 shootings at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C.

A few other strategies were using:

Our 103 Joint Terrorism Task Forces around the nation bring together our law enforcement and intelligence partners into a single team dedicated to addressing terror threats of all kinds. Beyond these task forces, we talk constantly with our local, state, and federal partnersthose who have a finger on the pulse of their communities and can tell us about the individuals or groups on their radar. Were also beginning an extensive study on identified lone offenders to come up with indicators and behavior predictors that investigators can use to assess suspects.

Combatting Domestic Terrorism The FBI is the lead domestic terrorism agency in the U.S., working to identify and prevent domestic terrorism acts before they occur and investigate them when they do take place. Were also the lead federal agency in responding to a domestic terrorism crisis situation, functioning as the on-scene manager for the U.S. government. During our investigations, we get a great deal of investigative support from our state, local, and federal partners. An example of this collaboration is the recent Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force case that resulted in the arrest of four members of an anti-government group on federal money laundering, tax evasion, and weapons charges. Details Sometimes, cases are prosecuted at the local level because the crime isnt a violation of federal law. In those instances, we support our partners any way we cansharing intelligence, offering forensic assistance, conducting behavioral analysis, etc.

Last year on this website, we talked about animal rights extremists and eco-terrorists and our intelligence-driven approaches to stopping them. In the coming months, well spotlight other homegrown terror groups to raise awareness on who they are and the threats they pose. You can help. Be alert to potential signs of domestic terror plots and planning and contact us immediately with any information or leads. Other domestic terror threats: - Eco-terrorists and animal rights extremists - Sovereign citizens movement - Anarchist Extremism - Militia Extremism - White Supremacy Extremism Domestic terrorism cases past and present: - Daniel San Diego - Demetrius Van Crocker - Gale Nettles - Oklahoma City bombing - The Unabomber - Eric Rudolph: Part 1 | Part 2 - Matthew Hale

Domestic Terrorism Focus on Militia Extremism 09/22/11 Last March, nine members of an extremist militia group were charged in Michigan with seditious conspiracy and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction in connection with an alleged plot to attack law enforcement and spark an uprising against the government. According to the federal indictment, the nine individuals planned to kill a law enforcement officer and then use bombs to attack the caravan of cars taking part in the subsequent funeral procession, hoping that this violence would incite a larger armed conflict with authorities. Fortunately, the FBI and the Michigan State Police intervened and took the subjects into custody before they could carry out their alleged plot. Its just one example of the dangers posed by so-called militia extremiststhe latest topic in our series to educate the nation on domestic terror threats that the FBI A cache of guns seized from militia extremists investigates today. Previous stories have focused on anarchist extremists, ecoterrorists/animal rights extremists, lone offenders, and sovereign citizen extremists. Who they are. Like many domestic terrorism groups, militia extremists are anti-government. What sets them apart is that theyre often organized into paramilitary groups that follow a military-style rank hierarchy. They tend to stockpile illegal weapons and ammunition, trying illegally to get their hands on fully automatic firearms or attempting to convert weapons to fully automatic. They also try to buy or manufacture improvised explosive devices and typically engage in wilderness, survival, or other paramilitary training. Who and what they target. They usually go after the government itselfincluding law enforcement personnel, representatives of the courts, and other public officials, along with government buildings. When caught, most militia extremists are charged with weapons, explosives, and/or conspiracy violations.

What they believe in. Many militia extremists view themselves as protecting the U.S. Constitution, other U.S. laws, or their own individual liberties. They believe that the Constitution grants citizens the power to take back the federal government by force or violence if they feel its necessary. They oppose gun control efforts and fear the widespread disarming of Americans by the federal government. Militia extremists often subscribe to various conspiracy theories regarding government. One of their primary theories is that the United Nationswhich they refer to as the New World Order, or NWOhas the right to use its military forces anywhere in the world (it doesnt, of course). The extremists often train and prepare for what they foresee as an inevitable invasion of the U.S. by United Nations forces. Many militia extremists also wrongly believe that the federal government will relocate citizens to camps controlled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or force them to undergo vaccinations. One important note: simply espousing anti-government rhetoric is not against the law. However, seeking to advance that ideology through force or violence is illegal, and thats when the FBI and law enforcement become involved. What is the FBI doing to combat the militia extremism threat? In addition to our lawful use of sophisticated investigative techniques, weve expanded our work with other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and with our state and local partners. And we use intelligence and analysis to help identify gaps in our knowledge, emerging tactics and trends, and effective investigative strategies.
As always, the combination of intelligence, coordinated law enforcement efforts, and an informed public is the most effective way to counter the threats posed by domestic extremists.

Domestic Terrorism Anarchist Extremism: A Primer 11/16/2010 To help educate the public about domestic terrorismAmericans attacking Americans because of U.S.-based extremist ideologiesweve previously outlined three separate threats: eco-terrorists/animal rights extremists, lone offenders, and the sovereign citizen movement. Today, we look at a fourth threatanarchist extremism. What is anarchist extremism? Anarchism is a belief that society should have no government, laws, police, or any other authority. Having that belief is perfectly legal, and the majority of

anarchists in the U.S. advocate change through non-violent, non-criminal means. A small minority, however, believes change can only be accomplished through violence and criminal actsand that, of course, is against the law. Anarchist extremism is nothing new to the FBI. One of our first big cases occurred in 1919, when the Bureau of Investigation (as we were called then) investigated a series of anarchist bombings in several U.S. cities. And during the 1970s, the FBI investigated anarchist extremists such as the Weather Underground Organization, which conducted a series of bombing campaigns. The current threat. Anarchist extremism in the U.S. encompasses a variety of ideologies, including anti-capitalism, anti-globalism, and anti-urbanization. Theres also "green anarchy," an element of anarchist extremism mixed with environmental extremism. The extremists are loosely organized, with no central leadershipalthough they occasionally demonstrate limited ability to mobilize themselves. Typically, anarchist extremists in the U.S. are event-driventhey show up at political conventions, economic and financial summits, environmental meetings, and the like. They usually target symbols of Western civilization that they perceive to be the root causes of all societal illsi.e., financial corporations, government institutions, multinational companies, and law enforcement agencies. They damage and vandalize property, riot, set fires, and perpetrate small-scale bombings. Law enforcement is also concerned about anarchist extremists who may be willing to use improvised explosives devices or improvised incendiary devices. Currently, much of the criminal activities of anarchist extremists fall under local jurisdiction, so theyre investigated by local police. If asked by police, the Bureau can assist. But we have a heavy presence at a major national or international events generating significant media coveragethats when the threat from anarchist extremists, as well as others who are up to no good, dramatically increases. For todays generation of American anarchist extremists, the rioting that disrupted the 1999 World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle is the standard by which they measure successit resulted in millions of dollars in property damage and economic loss and injuries to hundreds of law enforcement officers and bystanders. But fortunately, they havent been able to duplicate what happened in Seattlewhich may be a combination of the improved preparations of law enforcement as well as the disorganization of the movement. This disorganization, though, can also be a challenge for law enforcement: it gives the extremists anonymity and low visibility, and it makes it tough to recruit sources and gather intelligence. Its challenging, but not impossiblethere have been a number of anarchist convictions since 1999 at both the state and federal levels. And the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will

continue to detect and disrupt enterprises and individuals involved in criminal activity or who advocate the use of force or violence to further an anarchist extremist ideology.
Resources: - Sovereign citizen extremist threat - Lone offender threat - Eco-terrorist and animal rights extremist threats

Written testimony of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis Deputy Under Secretary for the State and Local Program Office Scott McAllister for a Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights hearing titled Hate Crimes and the Threat of Domestic Extremism Release Date: September 19, 2012 216 Hart Senate Office Building Thank you Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Graham, and Members of the subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to testify today on the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) efforts to keep our nation safe from evolving threats through information sharing activities with our state and local partners. It is my pleasure to testify today with my colleagues from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). DHS collaborates very closely and effectively with the FBI, as well as other federal and state and local partners, and together we have forged an unprecedented partnership to meet the shared responsibility of protecting our nation and the American people from threats, be they foreign plots or acts of homegrown violence. Eleven years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, America is stronger and more secure thanks to the support of Congress, the work of the men and women of DHS, and our federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners across the homeland security enterprise. Created to protect the American people from terrorist and other threats, DHS and its many partners across the federal government, public and private sectors, and communities throughout the country have strengthened homeland security enterprise to better mitigate and defend against evolving threats, while protecting individuals privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. As Secretary Napolitano has said many times, homeland security begins with hometown security. As part of our commitment to strengthening hometown security, we have worked to get information, tools, and resources out of Washington, D.C., and into the hands of SLTT officials and first responders. This has led to improvements in our capability to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against our citizens, our communities, and our critical infrastructure. We have increased our ability to analyze and distribute threat information at all levels. We have invested in training for local law enforcement and first responders of all types in order to increase expertise and capacity at the local level. In my time today, I would like to provide an overview of the efforts of not just I&A, but the entire Department of Homeland Security, often in partnership with the DOJ and FBI, to keep our nation safe from evolving threats through information sharing activities with our state and local partners.

Current Threats While the United States has made significant progress, threats from terroristsincluding, but not limited to al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda affiliated groupspersist and continually evolve, and the demands on DHS continue to grow. Todays threats are not limited to any one individual, group or ideology and are not defined or contained by international borders. Terrorist tactics can be as simple as a homemade bomb and as sophisticated as a biological threat or a coordinated cyber attack. DHS and our partners at all levels of government have successfully increased the safety and security of our Nation. However, the continued threat of terrorism in the United States demonstrates that we must remain vigilant and prepared at all times. We remain concerned with threats from domestic terrorists because they tend to operate as lone offenders or in small cells, which complicates law enforcements detection and disruption. To address these evolving threats, we work closely with federal and SLTT law enforcement partners on a wide range of critical homeland security issues in order to provide those on the frontlines with the information and tools they need to address threats in their communities and protect people and property. Information Sharing Activities DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) is one of the federal governments key information intermediaries, as well as an intelligence advocate for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. I&As mission is to equip the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE) with the intelligence and information it needs to keep the homeland safe, secure, and resilient. I&A has a unique role as a conduit for information sharing among the Intelligence Community; federal entities; state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations; and private sector partners. This includes promoting an understanding of threats to the homeland through intelligence analysis, collecting information and intelligence to support homeland security missions, managing intelligence activities for the Department, and sharing information, while protecting the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of all Americans. I&A analyzes intelligence and information about homeland security threats and serves as a twoway interface between the Intelligence Community (IC) and SLTT, and private sector partners. This includes providing warnings, actionable intelligence, and analysis to ensure that DHS leadership, departmental operating components, law enforcement and intelligence partners, and frontline law enforcement have the information they need to confront and disrupt terrorist and other threats to the homeland. We share these products through the national network of 77 state and locally operated fusion centers.

We are also working to ensure that every fusion center maintains a set of core capabilities that includes the ability to assess local implications of national intelligence, share information with federal authorities so we can identify emerging national threats, and ensure the protection of civil rights, civil liberties and privacy. Specifically, we are encouraging fusion centers to develop and strengthen their grassroots analytic capabilities so that national intelligence can be placed into local context, and the domestic threat picture can be enhanced based on an understanding of the threats in local communities. We are partnering with fusion centers to establish more rigorous analytic processes and analytic production plans, increasing opportunities for training and professional development for state and local analysts, and encouraging the development of joint products among fusion centers and federal partners. Production and Dissemination of Threat Information The Department has developed tailored product lines to meet the needs of our SLTT partners, and expanded our dissemination to include the diverse range of homeland security stakeholders (law enforcement, emergency management, public health, and private sector). Specifically, I&A produces a variety of timely, tailored, and actionable intelligence products for SLTT partners, to include: Daily Intelligence Highlights (DIH), Roll Call Releases (RCR), Homeland Security Notes (HSN), Homeland Security Reference Aids (HSRA), Homeland Security Assessments (HSA), Homeland Security Monitors (HSM) Intelligence Notifications and Homeland Security State and Local Intelligence Community of Interest (HS-SLIC) messages, and Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) trend analysis. Additionally, I&A coordinates the development of tearline reporting with the larger Intelligence Community (IC) during times of imminent threat to ensure that SLTT partners remain fully apprised of the evolving threat environment in the Homeland. A also works closely with the FBI on the development of Joint Information Bulletins (JIB), both classified and unclassified, that are disseminated to SLTT and law enforcement officials, which provide situational awareness and information on potential threats. I&A uses feedback provided by state and local customers to adjust its analytic and current intelligence products to better meet their needs. As a result of feedback received over the last two years, I&A initiated new products including the Snapshot, which identifies tactics, techniques, and procedures of an emerging event which may have Homeland implications, and provides potential indicators and recommended preventive and protective actions. Analysis of survey data provided by SLTT partners on I&A products reveals that 98 percent of SLTT customers rated the relevance of I&A products they reviewed as Important to Critical. Suspicious Activity Reporting and Raising Public Awareness Over the past three years, we have transformed how we train our nations frontline officers regarding suspicious activities, through the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative

(NSI). This initiative, which we conduct in partnership with the DOJ, is an Administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators potentially related to terrorism and terrorism-related crime; standardize how those observations are documented and analyzed; and ensure the sharing of those reports with the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) for further investigation. More than 234,000 law enforcement officers have now received training under this initiative, and more are getting trained every week. The training was created in collaboration with numerous law enforcement agencies, and with privacy, civil rights and civil liberties officials. DHS also has expanded the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative to include our nations 18 critical infrastructure sectors. Infrastructure owners and operators from the 18 sectors are now contributing information, vetted by law enforcement through the same screening process otherwise used to provide information to the JTTFs. I&A also has conducted numerous domestic terrorism briefings and intelligence exchanges with state and local law enforcement and the private sector to share lessons learned and best practices. Because an engaged and vigilant public is vital to our efforts to protect our communities, we have also continued our nationwide expansion of the If You See Something, Say Something public awareness campaign. This campaign encourages Americans to contact law enforcement if they see something suspicious or potentially dangerous. To date, we have expanded the campaign to federal buildings, transportation systems, universities, professional and amateur sports leagues and teams, entertainment venues, some of our nations largest retailers, as well as our SLTT to include local law enforcement. Most recently DHS has partnered with sports leagues such as the National Football League, Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Hockey League, U.S. Golf, and the U.S. Tennis Association, to promote public awareness of potential indicators of terrorism at sporting events. Countering Violent Extremism At DHS, we believe that local authorities and community members are often best able to identify individuals or groups residing within their communities exhibiting dangerous behaviorsand intervenebefore they commit an act of violence. Countering violent extremism (CVE) is a shared responsibility, and DHS continues to work with a broad range of partners to gain a better understanding of the behaviors, tactics, and other indicators that could point to terrorist activity, and the best ways to mitigate or prevent that activity. The Departments efforts to counter violent extremism are three-fold. We are working to better understand the phenomenon of violent extremism through extensive analysis and research on the behaviors and indicators of violent extremism. We are bolstering efforts to address the dynamics of violent extremism by strengthening partnerships with state, local, and international partners.

And, we are expanding support for information-driven, community-oriented policing efforts through training and grants. Over the past year, DHS has worked closely with state and local partners, including the State and Provincial Police Academy Directors (SPPADS), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the Major City Chiefs Association (MCCA), the Major County Sheriffs Association (MCSA), as well as the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), DOJ, and the FBI to develop training for Federal, state and local, and Correctional Facility law enforcement officers, as well as a training block for State Police Academies. The key goal of the training is to help law enforcement recognize the indicators of violent extremist activity and distinguish between those behaviors that are potentially related to crime and those that are constitutionally protected or part of a religious or cultural practice. The Department has hosted four workshops to receive feedback from front line officers on the training materials, including workshops in Columbus, OH, San Diego, CA, Washington, DC, and Minneapolis, MN. Workshops were also conducted for Correctional Facility law enforcement, including one in Sykesville, MD and one in Orange County, CA. Additionally, the Department held a separate session with the State and Provincial Policy Academy Directors and IACP to receive input on the training materials focused for State Academy Training facilities. Based on feedback we received from SPPADS Directors and the IACPs CVE Advisory Group that it would be helpful to have CVE training available online so that law enforcement can access it more easily, the Department has created a new CVE Training Webportal, accessible to law enforcement via the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), which contains CVE training curricula, case studies, research, products, and cultural competence materials. This Webportal was launched on August 31, 2012 for a select group of SPPADS Directors and CVE Trainers, and will be available to law enforcement training practitioners nationwide by the end of September. Additionally, the Department is holding a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for CVE Trainers and Practitioners from each state on September 27-28, 2012 in San Diego, CA. All of this is consistent with the Administrations CVE Strategy released in August 2011 and the CVE Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States released in December 2011. As part of our CVE approach, I&A has conducted extensive analysis and research to better understand the threat of violent extremism in order to support state and local law enforcement, fusion centers, and community partners with the knowledge needed to identify behaviors and indicators of violent extremism, and prevent violent crime. I&As analysis and research focuses on assessing strategic level patterns and trends in the activities of domestic extremist movements to help inform SLTT partners so they can best prioritize their own resources and determine their own vulnerabilities. In furtherance of this effort, I&A prepares case studies on key domestic

extremist groups and movements. These case studies and other products identify indicators of common violent extremist activities. DHS has also supported State and Local CVE activities through grants. DHS publicly released the CVE Training Guidance and Best Practices, which was sent to all state and local partner grantors and grantees thereby tying CVE to grant guidance policy on October 7, 2011. DHS also incorporated language into FY 2012 grant guidance that prioritizes CVE and allows funds to be used in support of state and local CVE efforts. Active Shooter Threats There have been a series of international and domestic violent extremist incidents over the past several years that have involved active shooters, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks; shootings in 2009 at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Fort Hood, and a military recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas; and the 2011 attacks in Utoya, Norway. The recent shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin was carried out by an individual with a history of involvement in the white supremacist extremist movement, although his motives remain unknown. Preventing and responding to active shooter threats is a priority for state and local law enforcement authorities, regardless of whether the attacker or attackers are motivated by an extreme ideology or some other criminal intent. Regardless of the motivation, prevention is a priority, response efforts will be the same and the impact on the community is significant. This is an area in which the Department, in partnership with the FBI has been very active. DHS is working closely with our partners to better understand the behaviors and indicators that lead to these acts of violence, the tactics used, and the actions that can be taken to help prevent them in the future. A central goal of our efforts is to build capabilities within state and local law enforcement communities to respond to active shooter threats, regardless of the motives or origins. As part of this effort, we have worked with the FBI to produce case studies regarding past active shooter events and have made them available to state and local law enforcement partners. These case studies include behaviors and indicators, so that front line personnel will be better able to recognize pre-incident indicators of an emerging active shooter threat. We have incorporated this information in the training materials pertaining to CVE. Additionally, the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate Office of Infrastructure Protection and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide active shooter trainings for state and local law enforcement and private sector partners. DHSs Active Shooter Awareness Program provides resources to help public and private-sector security managers train their workforce and enhance their facilities preparedness and response to an active shooter scenario. DHS also has developed an online Independent Study Course titled Active Shooter: What You Can Do, as well as additional active shooter information.

FEMA, through Louisiana State University, a member of the National Domestic Preparedness consortium, also offers the Law Enforcement Active Shooter Emergency Response (LASER) course which addresses the technical aspects of planning and implementing a rapid law enforcement deployment to an active shooter incident. In addition, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) has been instrumental in preparing our Nations state, local, and Federal law enforcement officers to respond effectively to an active shooter incident should one occur. FLETC has trained over 4,000 U.S. law enforcement officers in active shooter response and active shooter response instructor training. These newly trained instructors have gone on to train thousands more. FLETC also has reached out to its law enforcement partners that have experienced active shooter incidents to develop lessons learned/lesson anticipated that help to continually update and improve the tactics for active shooter response programs. DHS also has developed an online Independent Study Course titled Active Shooter: What You Can Do through FEMAs Emergency Management Institute. This course provides guidance to individuals, including managers and employees, to prepare to respond to an active shooter situation. Nearly 134,000 government and private-sector participants have completed this training since it was released in March 2011. In collaboration with the FBI and NCTC, DHS and FEMA have organized a two-day Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS) to review and improve operational capabilities, response resources, and information sharing among Federal, state, local, and private sector partners. This nationwide initiative is designed to increase the ability of local jurisdictions to prepare for, protect against, and respond to coordinated terrorist attacks against multiple targets. Since 2011, workshops have been conducted in Boston, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Houston, Nashville, Denver, and Los Angeles. Modified workshops were also conducted in Tampa and Charlotte in support of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The next scheduled workshop is in Las Vegas this October. Because faith-based communities have been the targets of violence, DHS continues to maintain regular contact with faith-based communities and helps coordinate rapid incident communications efforts. One recent example includes the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) activation of the Incident Community Coordination Team (ICCT) on August 6, 2012, following the shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. During the call, leaders from Sikh, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and interfaith communities and organizations discussed the shooting with senior Government officials from the White House, DOJ, FBI, and DHS. More than 100 participants from across the country joined the ICCT call to share information about response activities and resources available, and to address community concerns.

Through the Office of Infrastructure Protection, DHS also has made the Active Shooter Awareness Program available to faith-based communities, as well as provided resources to ensure that their facilities are safe and secure through site assessments, threat briefings, and trainings. Conclusion While America is stronger and more resilient as a result of these efforts to strengthen the Homeland Security Enterprise, threats from terrorists persist and continue to evolve. Todays threats do not come from any one individual or group. They may originate in distant lands or local neighborhoods. The federal government realizes that SLTT law enforcement, as well as citizens, businesses, and communities are on the frontlines of detection and prevention. Protecting the nation is a shared responsibility and everyone can contribute by staying informed and aware of the threats the nation faces. Thank you for this opportunity to outline DHSs efforts to prepare for and prevent terrorist attacks against the homeland. I look forward to your questions. Review Date: September 18, 2012 FACT SHEET: Working to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence in the United States A Starting Point: This is a starting point to tackle the threat of violent extremist use of the Internet. Adopting an Internet safety approach and related tools is key, but the Interagency Working Group to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence will be charged with considering additional efforts, as appropriate. Protecting Freedom of Speech: It is important that we continue to protect civil liberties and privacy as we implement an Internet safety approach and that we do not restrict speech. Our focus is on providing communities with information for staying safe online from individuals who are trying to encourage others to commit acts of violence. Our concern with protecting civil liberties and privacy informed the development of our policy and will guide the efforts of the Working Group. Addressing the Threat: Violent extremists use the Internet to recruit and radicalize Americans to commit acts of violence. We have seen attacks over the last several years in which consumption of propaganda over, and communication through, the Internet played a role in the radicalization of the attacker. The Federal Government will work to make communities more resilient to these messages of hate by raising awareness and providing tools. Informed and resilient communities are our Nations first and best line of defense against terrorism.

Resources and Implementation: The resources necessary for implementing this policy will be determined by the Working Group. However, the goal is to integrate these efforts into ongoing Federal, state, and local Internet safety programs. For example, the OnGuard Online website hosted by the Federal Trade Commission will begin including information about violent extremist use of the Internet in their existing Internet safety materials. Implementation will be coordinated by the Working Group, which will be chaired by the White House National Security Staff. Relevant departments and agencies will participate in the Working Group and collaborate to implement this policy. Collaborating with Industry: The Federal Government will collaborate with industry to explore how we might counter online violent extremism while protecting lawful Internet use and the civil liberties and privacy of individual users. Many companies have developed voluntary measures to promote Internet safety (such as fraud warnings, identity protection, and Internet safety tips), and we look forward to hearing their views about how we might apply similar measures to counter online radicalization to violence. Missouri Legislator Wants To Make It A Felony To Propose Gun Control Legislation Abby Rogers | Feb. 19, 2013

The Number Of Groups Lobbying On Gun Issues Actually Dropped In 2012 A Congressman in Missouri is taking a dramatic stand against gun control. A state representative has proposed a bill that would make it a class D felony for any member of the General Assembly to propose legislation "that further restricts an individual's right to bear arms." The bill was sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike Leara.

BuzzFeed's Rebecca Berg was the first to bring Missouri's proposed legislation to our attention. Missouri is the just latest in a growing line of states attempting to criminalize gun control. While Vice President Joe Biden was promoting the White House's plan for gun control in Virginia at the end of January, the state's House of Delegates approved a bill that would forbid state agencies and employees from helping the federal government enforcement new control measures in the state. And Wyoming, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee have all announced plans as well to make it a crime for state employees to enforce federal gun control measures. Now Watch: Believe It Or Not, The NRA Used To Support Gun Control

EE ALSO: Aurora, Ill.'s Murder-Free Year Shows What Chicago Is Doing Wrong

DOJ memo says assault weapons ban unlikely to have an impact on gun violence Tue, 02/19/2013 - 10:00am | posted by Jason Pye

There has been a substantial amount of gun-related news over the past few days. As it stands right now, President Barack Obamas gun control measures are stalled in Congress and there is only tepid hope that theyll be able to break through the legislative stalemate. But that hasnt stopped gun-grabbers from pushing in the issue in state legislatures. In Missouri, four Democratic legislators have proposed a bill that would require law-abiding residents of the state to turn in their semi-automatic weapons (so-called assault weapons) to law enforcement within 90 days. The Colorado House has passed a measure that would clamp down on the states gun laws. That law, by the way, could lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs in the Centennial State. It gets worse, folks. In Wisconsin, some Democratic legislators are pushing legislation that would ban the sell of certain types of ammunition, including hollow points. And a gun control push in the State of Washington would essentially strip gun owners of their Fourth Amendment rights by allowing police to search homes for semi-automatic weapons. We may dismiss this all as pandering, but the fact of the matter is that the gun control crowds in various state legislatures are working overtime. And while it looks like some of these efforts may well pass, they wont help prevent gun violence, a point even President Obamas Department of Justice has conceded. The National Review reported yesterday on a recently leaked Department of Justice memo noting that an assault weapons ban is unlikely to have an impact on gun

violence. Why? Because the weapons being targeted are not a major contributor to US gun homicide. There it is, in black and white. Unfortunately, the anti-gun crowd, which has suffered loss after loss over the last few years, isnt going to let this clearly stated fact stand in the way of the their preconceived, emotionally-invested arguments and notions. Summary of Select Firearm Violence Prevention Strategies Greg Ridgeway, Ph.D. Deputy Director National Institute of Justice January 4, 2013 On average there are about 11,000 firearm homicides every year. While there are deaths resulting from accidental discharges and suicides, this document will focus on intentional firearm homicides. Fatalities from mass shootings (those with 4 or more victims in a particular place and time) account on average for 35 fatalities per year. Policies that address the larger firearm homicide issue will have a far greater impact even if they do not address the particular issues of mass shootings. This document provides a cursory summary of select initiatives to reduce firearm violence and an assessment of the evidence for the initiative. Gun buybacks Twitter summary: Buybacks are ineffective unless massive and coupled with a ban Goal: Reduce access to firearms by incentivizing owners to dispose of their unwanted guns rather than transfer them to a more risky possessor Evidence: Gun buybacks are ineffective as generally implemented. 1. The buybacks are too small to have an impact. 2. The guns turned in are at low risk of ever being used in a crime. 3. Replacement guns are easily acquired. Unless these three points are overcome, a gun buyback cannot be effective. The 1997 Australia gun buyback and its associated regulations is an exception to this. 1. It was large, buying back 20% of the firearm stock. 2. It targeted semi-automatic weapons. 3. It coupled the buyback with a ban on certain weapons and a nationwide registration and licensing program. There is strong evidence that it reduced mass killings (before the initiative massacres occurred on average once per year and none have occurred in the 15 years since). The Australia buyback appears to have had no effect on crime otherwise. One study (Leigh & Neill 2010) has proven confusing in that its abstract suggests that Australias gun buyback reduced firearm homicide rates by 80%, but the body of the report finds no effect. Others (Reuter & Mouzas 2003) have used the same data and also found no effect on crime although they also noted that mass shootings appear to have disappeared in Australia. A third study (Chapman et al 2006) using Australian data from 1979 to 2003 shows that the firearm homicide rate was already declining prior to the firearm reforms and that

there is no evidence that the new legislation accelerated the declines. This remains true when data through 2007 are added to the analysis (conducted by G. Ridgeway on 1/3/2013 at NIJ). Large capacity magazines restrictions Twitter summary: Great potential to reduce lethality; requires a massive reduction in supply Goal: Reduce the lethality of guns by reducing the number of rounds that can be quickly fired. Program: Restrictions on the manufacture, sale, transfer, and possession of large capacity magazines (usually defined as holding more than 10 rounds). Evidence: Mass shootings predominantly involve the use of large capacity magazines. The most lethal ones all involve large capacity magazines. In addition large capacity magazines were used in nearly 25% of all crimes in 1993 just prior to the ban. There is reason to believe that reducing the availability of large capacity magazines could have an effect on the total number of homicides. In five cities studied closely found no change in the criminal use of large capacity magazines during the ten year ban. However, a Washington Post analysis for Virginia continued the analysis where the research team left off. The data indicate that the percentage of crime guns using large capacity magazines declined from 18% in 1999 (when magazine imports were highest) to its lowest level in 2004 (10% of crime guns had large capacity magazines). The percentage doubled between 2004, when the ban expired, and 2010. The 1994 ban on large capacity magazines had limited effectiveness because 1) Large capacity clips are a durable good 2) There were an estimated 25 million guns with large capacity magazines in 1995 3) The 1994 law exempted magazines manufactured before 1994 so that the importation of large capacity magazines manufactured overseas before 1994 continued through the ban 4) while the price of the clips increased dramatically (80% during the ban) they were not unaffordable. A 2004 study of the 1994 law found: because the ban has not yet reduced the use of [large capacity magazines] in crime, we cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nations recent drop in gun violence. The 1994 ban essentially did little to affect the supply of large capacity magazines. In order to have an impact, large capacity magazine regulation needs to sharply curtail their availability to include restrictions on importation, manufacture, sale, and possession. An exemption for previously owned magazines would nearly eliminate any impact. The program would need to be coupled with an extensive buyback of existing large capacity magazines. With an exemption the impact of the restrictions would only be felt when the magazines degrade or when they no longer are compatible with guns in circulation. This would take decades to realize.

Ammunition logs Twitter summary: Increases opportunities to detect illegal firearm possessors Goal: 1) Reduce flow of ammunition to the illicit market and 2) develop leads for illegal weapons.

Program: Laws that prohibit certain individuals from owning firearms also pertain to ammunition (18 USC 922g&n). Whereas direct retail sales of firearms to criminals are regularly disrupted by instant background checks, sales of ammunition are essentially unchecked. Ammunition purchase logs are a means of checking for illegal purchases and for developing intelligence on illegal firearms. Alternatively, several states do not record purchases, but rather require the purchaser to show a permit to purchase ammunition and only of the same caliber or gauge as their firearm. While purchasing a firearm is a one-time action, repeated purchases of ammunition create more complications for prohibited firearm possessors. Evidence: A study used criminal background checks conducted on individuals purchasing ammunition in Los Angeles in April and May 2004. 2.6% of transactions involved prohibited purchasers. They purchased 5,000 rounds of ammunition per month during this period. Rather than institute instant checks on ammunition purchases, local police began regularly checking the logs for illegal purchases, using it as an intelligence tool to find not only ammunition but also the illegally possessed weapons. Sacramento instituted a similar program and identified 13 illegal purchasers per month in the first year, recovering an average of 7 illegal firearms per month. There is evidence that the program can be used to identify prohibited purchasers and can aid in the recovery of illegal firearms. The volume of recoveries is not of a scale likely to impact the illegal firearm trade, but could disrupt some criminal activity. In 2009 California passed AB 962 that would make the ammunition logs statewide. It has since been held up in court due primarily to the use of the phrase handgun ammunition, which is not a well-defined phrase. Universal background checks Twitter summary: Effectiveness depends on the ability to reduce straw purchasing, requiring gun registration and an easy gun transfer process To understand the value of background checks it is essential to understand the source of crime guns. Several sporadic attempts have been made to learn how criminals acquire guns. For example, a 2000 study by the ATF found the following distribution of sources Source Percentage Straw purchase 47% Stolen Store Residence Common carrier 26% 14% 10% 2% Unregulated private seller 20% Gun shows/flea markets 13% Retail diversion 8% Note: Percentages do not add up to 100% since some sources fall into multiple categories (e.g. unregulated seller at a flea market) These figures indicate informal transfers dominate the crime gun market. A perfect universal background check system can address the gun shows and might deter many unregulated private sellers. However, this does not address the largest sources (straw purchasers and theft), which would most likely become larger if background checks at gun shows and private sellers were addressed. The secondary market is the primary source of crime guns. Ludwig and Cook (2000) compared states that introduced Brady checks to those states that already had background checks and found no effect of the new background checks. They hypothesized that the background

checks simply shifted to the secondary market those offenders who normally purchased in the primary market. Supply sources can vary in different parts of the country. An NIJ funded study of the Los Angeles illicit gun market noted: Results showed that many crime guns were first purchased at localthat is, in countylicensed dealers, rather than from out of state. That is, contrary to the conventional wisdom that crime guns were being trafficked across state borders from places with less stringent regulations, such as Arizona and Nevada, we found that a majority of the guns used in crimes were purchased in Los Angeles County. Thus, gun markets can be highly local. Understanding gun sources requires a sustained and localized surveillance program. For example, the program could interview new arrestees at intake about how they acquired their gun, cost, and general gun availability. This could be conducted in conjunction with BJAs plans to target local violence prevention programs in 20 cities. This is similar to the ADAM program for monitoring drug markets and could, in fact, complement any restart of ADAM. In the coming years such data could become available through BJS efforts; BJS will include a series of questions in its 2013/2014 national inmate survey. Target straw purchasers Straw purchasers are the primary source of crime guns. Importantly, straw purchasers have no record of a prohibiting offense. As a result, they are quite different from those who actually commit crimes. Consistent with criminological theory, because the person conducting the straw purchase does not have a criminal history forbidding him or her from making legal purchases, this population could potentially be deterred from initiating this illegal activity. Because straw purchasers are the largest source for the illicit market and these purchasers likely can be deterred, effort should be focused here. There is little evidence on what works. The ATF and NSSF sponsored the Dont Lie for the Other Guy public awareness campaign starting in 2000 but there are no evaluation reports of its effectiveness. A Los Angeles program to target straw purchasers sent new gun buyers a letter, signed by prominent law enforcement officials, indicating that law enforcement had a record of their gun purchase and that the gun buyer should properly record future transfers of the gun. The letters arrived during buyers 10- day waiting periods, before they could legally return to the store to collect their new gun. An NIJ-funded study found that the letter could modify gun owner behaviors. The study found that the rate at which guns are reported stolen for those who received the letter is more than twice the rate for those who did not receive the letter. While this does not show an effect on crime, it does show that a simple letter to those at risk of diverting guns to the illicit market can modify their behavior. Require all gun transfers to occur at an FFL Some states, such as California, require all transfers of guns to be properly documented (since 1923). This usually requires the involvement of a federally licensed dealer in the transaction. Despite this, straw purchasing continues largely unabated. Wachtel (1998) describes some straw purchasing of crime guns for Los Angeles between 1988 and 1995. There are disincentives to following the law in California ($35 and a waiting period). Such a process can discourage a normally law-abiding citizen to spend the time

and money to properly transfer his or her firearm to another. To be effective, requiring all transfers to occur at an FFL needs to be coupled with all the necessary incentives (or at least no disincentives) for unlicensed sellers to follow the law. Sanctions and threats of penalties are insufficient. Gun shows Gun shows do provide firearms to the illicit market, but the problem is not uniquely about gun shows but rather secondary transfers of unregulated private sellers. Gun shows simply convene numerous private sellers along with FFLs. Gun shows in states requiring all transfers to be documented have fewer illegal gun sales according to Wintemute et al 2007. Gun registration and continuous checks for possession eligibility Universal checks are insufficient for ensuring that firearm owners remain eligible. Convictions, mental health issues, and restraining orders can develop after the background checks. Recovering guns from those that become ineligible is likely effective. There is evidence from three studies that policies that check domestic violence perpetrators for firearm possession are effective at reducing intimate partner violence. Vigdor and Mercy (2006) found a 7% reduction in intimate partner homicide in states that allowed guns to be confiscated on site of domestic violence incidents. Zeoli and Webster (2010) found that state statutes restricting those under restraining orders from accessing firearms are associated with reductions of 20%-25% in total and firearm intimate partner homicide. Bridges et al (2008) found that most domestic violence laws do not effect intimate partner homicide except those relating to firearms. All three studies use methods that make alternative explanations unlikely. The challenge to implementing this more broadly is that most states do not have a registry of firearm ownership. Currently NICS background checks are destroyed within 24 hours. Some states maintain registration of all firearms. Gun registration aims to 1) increase owner responsibility by directly connecting an owner with a gun, 2) improve law enforcements ability to retrieve guns from owners prohibited from possessing firearms. Gun registration also allows for the monitoring of multiple gun purchases in a short period of time.

Assault weapon ban Twitter summary: Assault weapons are not a major contributor to gun crime. The existing stock of assault weapons is large, undercutting the effectiveness of bans with exemptions Goal: Limit access to assault weapons. Program: Ban the manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession of assault weapons. Evidence: Guns are durable goods. The 1994 law exempted weapons manufactured before 1994. The exemption of pre-1994 models ensures that a large stock, estimated at 1.5 million, of existing weapons would persist. Prior to the 1994 ban, assault weapons were used in 2-8% of

crimes. Therefore a complete elimination of assault weapons would not have a large impact on gun homicides. A National Academy study of firearms and violence concluded that the weaknesses of the ban and the scientific literature suggest that the assault weapon ban did not have an effect on firearm homicides. There is some evidence that the assault weapons bans can affect the availability of assault weapons. A 2004 study found that Following implementation of the ban, the share of gun crimes involving [assault weapons] declined by 17% to 72% across the localities examined for this study (Baltimore, Miami, Milwaukee, Boston, St. Louis, and Anchorage) This is consistent with patterns found in national data on guns recovered by police and reported to ATF. Weil and Knox (1997) found a sharp reduction in the number of assault weapons recovered by Baltimore police in the six months following Marylands ban on assault weapons. The federal ban came into effect a few months after Marylands ban, but Marylands ban had no provision grandfathering in already owned assault weapons. Since assault weapons are not a major contributor to US gun homicide and the existing stock of guns is large, an assault weapon ban is unlikely to have an impact on gun violence. If coupled with a gun buyback and no exemptions then it could be effective. The 1997 Australian gun buyback was massive in scale and, while it appears to have had no effect on gun homicide, Australia has had no mass shootings since the ban was put in place.

Smart guns Twitter summary: Most appropriate for making guns child safe or preventing police officers from being assaulted with their own firearm. Unlikely to affect gun crime Goal: Prevent gun use by unauthorized users, particular to prevent diversion of legally acquired firearms to the illicit market. Program: Between 1994 and 2004, the National Institute of Justice conducted a research effort to develop a technology that would preclude anyone but the owner of a gun from using it. If a gun were stolen with this technology installed, it would become inoperable. The focus of this effort was to preclude a law enforcement officers gun from being used if it were wrested from them during an assault. This technology was commonly referred to as smart gun technology because it enabled the gun to recognize its owner. In its 2005 assessment of this effort Technological Options for User-Authorized Handguns: A Technology-Readiness Assessment the National Academy of Engineering estimated that it would cost an additional $30 million and take 5 to 10 additional years to bring a smart gun to market. The most likely approach to achieving this capability would be through use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Evidence: The development of the technology has focused on making the guns child-proof or providing law enforcement officers with a firearm that could not be used against them. The realization of this technology would not prevent such shootings perpetrated by the owners of the

guns involved. In addition this would not eliminate the illicit market, but rather alter it. There would remain an illicit market for guns that did not have this technology installed or for smart guns in which the technology had been neutralized.

Craig B Hulet was both speech writer and Special Assistant for Special Projects to Congressman Jack Metcalf (Retired); he has been a consultant to federal law enforcement DEA, ATF&E of Justice/Homeland Security for over 25 years; he has written four books on international relations and philosophy, his latest is The Hydra of Carnage: Bushs Imperial War-making and the Rule of Law - An Analysis of the Objectives and Delusions of Empire. He has appeared on over 12,000 hours of TV and Radio: The History Channel De-Coded; He is a regular on Coast to Coast AM w/ George Noory and Coffee Talk KBKW; CNN, C-Span ; European Television "American Dream" and The Arsenio Hall Show; he has written for Soldier of Fortune Magazine, International Combat Arms, Financial Security Digest, etc.; Hulet served in Vietnam 1969-70, 101st Airborne, C Troop 2/17th Air Cav and graduated 3rd in his class at Aberdeen Proving Grounds Ordnance School MOS 45J20 Weapons. He remains a paid analyst and consultant in various areas of geopolitical, business and security issues: terrorism and military affairs. Hulet lives in the ancient old growth Quinault Rain Forest.