ABSTRACT
This article will explore the nature of terrorism today. More specifically, the goal of this research is to answer the following questions: Is there an indication of the existence of religious groups or individuals unaffiliated with a terrorist group but adhering to a common ideology of “global jihad,” as promoted by al-Qaeda? Is there an indication that the roles of major terrorist organizations, such as that of al-Qaeda, are rather diminishing—acting as a point of reference for independent terrorist groups and individuals only? To address these questions, this research will utilize both qualitative and quantitative analytic methods, as well as current literature on the topic. In the context of our research, we will argue that: 1) al-Qaeda continues to pose a serious threat both locally and internationally; and 2) there is a growing number of radicalized individuals and groups living inside the United States and Europe ready to initiate attacks, at the direction of foreign groups or on their own.
Mobile, Alabama
Additionally, this research will explore the possible motivations of some of the “homegrown” terrorists in the United States. The point will be made that the possible motivations of “homegrown” terrorists should not be understood primarily within the context of “global jihad.”
Terrorist Motivations: Case Analysis USA. vs. Omar Shafik Hammami wrote, “I don’t believe war should exist. It (aka Abu Mansour al-Amriki aka Farouk)
Omar Hammami
Photo Credit: www.fbi.gov
In July 2011, it was reported that Hammami had possibly been killed in Jubba, Somalia. 16
Inside Homeland Security®
Summer 2012
According to the Department of Justice press release (2010), on August 5, 2010, prosecutors unsealed a September 2009 superseding indictment against Omar Hammami, 26, a citizen of the United States and former resident of Daphne, Alabama. The indictment alleged Hammami provided material support, including himself as personnel to terrorists, conspired to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, al-Shabaab, and provided material support to al-Shabaab (United States vs. Omar Hammami, 18 USC 2339, 2339 B9 (a)(1)(2009)). Hammami is not currently in custody. Should he be apprehended, Hammami faces a potential 15 years for each of the three counts of the indictment. In July 2011, it was reported that Hammami had possibly been killed in Jubba, Somalia. However, such claims have yet to be confirmed. Brought up as a Southern Baptist, Omar was an ordinary child with a huge appetite for reading. He also was a natural debater and fierce competitor. He hated war and violence. In one of his journals he
doesn’t have a point.” Along similar lines, Hammami spoke of the Oklahoma City Bombing, “I wish violence would vanish clear from the earth.” However, as years went by Hammami developed an internal conflict: he did not know which religion to choose. Upon his return from Damascus, Syria, which he visited for a short period of time, Hammami converted to Islam and became deeply involved in religious studies (Elliot, 2010, pp. 4-5). By his junior year, Hammami had become a spectacle in his school. In one instance, he had made a point of praying by the flagpole outside the school and refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Another time, he had attacked a fellow student who interrupted him while he was reciting verse from the Koran. Following his suspension from school, Hammami moved to the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, where he became the president of the Muslim Student Association (Elliot, 2010, pp. 4-5). Tony Salvatore Sylvester, a 35-year-old convert and prominent figure in the American Salafi Movement in town, introduced Salafism to Omar. Salafism gave Omar a www.abchs.com
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