QUESTION: Considering the racial unrest sweeping the nation, are domestic terrorist organizations likely planning attacks in the U.S.? We asked @stick631 Scott Stewart. Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: "Absolutely, 100%. Some white supremacists somewhere are definitely planning an attack as we speak. The problem under leaderless resistance is identifying and stopping them.
White supremacy is one of several right-wing extremist ideologies that pose a domestic terrorism threat in the U.S. White supremacism is the belief that whites are superior to other races and therefore should either dominate or be separate from other races.
As seen by incidents such as the sacking of Lawrence Kansas in 1856 and the founding of the Ku Klux Klan in 1865, white supremacist terror and violence in the U.S. even predates the advent of modern terrorism during the Victorian era.
Because of this, white supremacist groups have been heavily targeted by law enforcement for many decades. As demonstrated by the 1988 trial of 14 white supremacist leaders in Ft. Smith AR, who were charged with seditious conspiracy,
white supremacist groups have long been penetrated by law enforcement officers and agents. The Ft. Smith sedition trial caused white supremacist groups to embrace the concept of leaderless resistance, in which lone actors and small cells conduct attacks based on
guidance provided by white supremacist ideologues using the cover of First Amendment, who attempt to maintain a physical separation from those planning attacks. In this way the white supremacist threat today is very similar to the jihadist threat in that
the primary threat is posed by lone actors & small cells radicalized & operationalized over the Internet. We do occasionally see hierarchical groups emerge, such as Atomwaffen & The Base, but these groups attacks are often detected & thwarted due to law enforcement penetration."
QUESTION: What should the Biden administration do about growing frustration from the public over #Kremlin-sponsored cyberattacks on the US? We asked @natsec09 what he’s learned about this. Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: An Intelligence source tells me, "yes, @JoeBiden is facing pressure from pundits and politicos across the country to do something public to show he's punishing Russia for its attacks. But, embarrass Putin publicly, then what?"
This is the key hurdle for the administration. How far can or should it go in publicly punishing Russia? Because, whether Americans want to hear it or not, Russia can also publicly punish the U.S.
QUESTION: Crisis at the US-Mexico border. What's the impact on the safety and security of migrants and asylum seekers? We asked @GCorreaCabrera. Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: "What is happening today at the border is not a new phenomenon; it is a condition that has been repeating itself in the past few years under different ‘political’ circumstances. This so-called “crisis” responds to a broken immigration system in the United States and
to complex structural hemispheric problems that have not been yet resolved. Poverty, inequality and insecurity are at the center of a real humanitarian crisis in the Americas. There is indeed a relevant human problem at the US-Mexico border that is putting unaccompanied minors
QUESTION: How did the recent #Suezblockage impact global security? We asked Brandon Fried @AfAExecDirector. Follow this thread for the answer.
"The Suez situation could not have come at a worse time with global demand for products and an all-time high, and we didn’t need another significant choke point to restrain capacity. Of course, the congestion at the Port of Los Angeles continues to be a big challenge as well.
The containers on these vessels are essential to the global supply chain must be put back into circulation as soon as possible. Without them, cargo sits at the docks, waiting not only for the ships but the metal boxes they carry as well.
QUESTION: Authorities have identified the person believed to be responsible for the massive suicide blast in #Nashville on Christmas Day 2020 as, 63 year old, Anthony Quinn Warner. What was his motive? We asked @stick631 - Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: “The man responsible for the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville has been identified, but his motive for committing suicide in such a spectacular fashion remains a mystery. It does not appear he left behind any sort of statement or manifesto outlining a grievance
narrative that would provide insight into his motive. Because of this, it is hard to classify the suicide by bomb as an act of terrorism. The suspect also provided warning of the impending explosion, allowing the authorities to evacuate people from the area,
QUESTION: How has President Donald Trump's firing of top national security officials impacted the intelligence community and the safety & security of the country? We asked Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence @suemgordon22. Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: “To begin, there is some overriding good news. The strength of the intelligence and national security communities lies in the expertise, ethos, and tradecraft of the women and men who serve.
Bureaucracies have downsides, but they have the upside of inherent stability over time. That said, leadership matters; and leadership during times of challenge and change matters a lot.
QUESTION: President Donald Trump's knowledge of US secrets and his debt may make him and others targets of foreign spies. We asked @LarryPfeifferDC of the @mvhaydencenter, how significant is this threat? Follow this thread for the answer.
ANSWER: "There’s been a bit of discussion in the media about how the large debt President Donald Trump carries into his post-presidency presents a significant security risk. What’s not discussed is the potential risks posed by those in his inner circle.
This is a president who has demanded loyalty above all—those who remain in his inner circle after 4 years are family and others undoubtedly the most loyal. If President Trump were predisposed to reveal classified or other sensitive US government information to foreign