January 6th, 2021 was an act of domestic terrorism and Donald Trump was the Osama Bin Laden of MAGA. Prove me wrong
TAT readers,
Today, is a very brief PSA regarding terrorism, specifically domestic terrorism. In my professional opinion and based on my couple decades in the CT/ Counterterrorism community, at home and abroad, January 6th is a textbook case of domestic terrorism and the sitting president at the time, the head of the terrorist movement called MAGA. With MAGA fully in control of the GOP, this makes today’s GOP, a terrorist organization. This is not politically charged banter, but a clear concise case of defining what occurred on January 6th, 2021. Organizations, like people, are what they do, not say.
Terrorist organizations operate on aberrant, violent extremist ideology. Today’s GOP with their 2024 campaign platform based on Project 2025, is their ideology.
Sadly, there are several definitions of domestic terrorism depending on which agency or entity that is being engaged but regardless, they all make very similar points, even though there are limitations of how to address these threats based on those disparate definitions. Today, I simply wish to convey that not only was January 6th, a painful domestic terrorist attack, but the head of the terrorist organization has now been reelected to the same office he held when he launched the terrorist attack on our nation and its capital, January 6th, 2021.
After years of chasing the likes of Al Shabbab, AQ, ISIS, Taliban, HIG, IMU and countless other lesser-known terrorist groups in combat zones, it not only offends me greatly that no one is pursuing this issue regarding today’s GOP, but due to this failure, the threat to the US and our constitution are at every-increasing threats. I wish to make it very clear that this is NOT a political post. In fact, every single terrorist movement or entity should be addressed stringently and when it comes to resources, resources should be applied in relation to the potential threat posed by each.
In my youth, the primary threats came from the left. Today, violent extremist violence by right-wing groups, nearly exceeds the cumulative total, of all other groups combined.
Let’s look at a couple of definitions that underpin my professional opinion.
Terrorism Definitions
International terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored).
Domestic terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.
(5) the term “domestic terrorism” means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States; and
CRS/ Congressional Research Service
“The federal government defines domestic terrorism (DT) as ideologically driven crimes committed by individuals in the United States that are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or influence the policy or conduct of a government. Federal definitions of DT are found in the USA PATRIOT Act (18 U.S.C. §2331), the Homeland Security Act (6 U.S.C. §101), and Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations (§0.85). Aside from the statutory and regulatory definitions of DT, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has historically emphasized particular qualities inherent to the actors who engage in DT. According to the FBI, domestic terrorists are Americans who commit violence to achieve their goals that stem from domestic, extremist ideological influence, and lack foreign direction or influence. This conceptualization excludes ideologically driven crimes committed in the United States by individuals whose actions are directed or motivated by foreign groups.”
DHS/ Department of Homeland Security
Broadly, national security refers to our nation’s collective defense, intelligence, internal and external security, and foreign relations capabilities. While most of HSI’s investigations involve acts committed by individuals and organizations seeking to make money from their crimes, others are driven by ideological, political, military, economic, or strategic motivations.
HSI’s national security investigations primarily involve terrorism and foreign intelligence threats.
Terrorism involves violence or the threat of violence against people or property to further a particular ideology. Terrorism can be:
International, meaning a foreign terrorist organization influences or directs the attacks.
Domestic, meaning social or political objectives influence the attacks in the terrorist’s home country.
Terrorism: Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents. (As per 22 USCS 2656f. Other definitions in other U.S. laws exist.)
DoD
The Department of Defense defines terrorism as the use of violence or the threat of violence to further a political ideology:
Acts: Involves a violent act or an act that is dangerous to human life, property, or infrastructure
Intent: Appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence government policy, or affect government conduct
Targets: Directed at noncombatant targets
Motivation: Politically motivated
The information above should make it beyond clear, that January 6th was a directed terrorist attack against our nation. In fact, it would be exceedingly difficult to argue against such a conclusion. If we refuse to acknowledge and act against domestic terrorism, regardless of motivations, we are accepting that we are hypocrites of the highest order. Acting against AQ post 9-11 and their leader at the time, Osama bin Laden, was the right answer, and logically, acting against MAGA and their leader, Donald Trump, would also be the right thing as well. There is no room in our republic, for tolerating politically and/or ideologically driven violent extremism or terrorism, especially if the intent is to deny American citizens their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
The cowardice of our Congress to act as well as deny our national security entities the opportunities to protect US citizens and residents, because they prefer to call it “politics” or the patently dishonest, “political discourse” is preposterous and extremely immoral. As noted at the beginning, we did act in the late 60s and early 70s against violent extremists and domestic terrorists, why not now? Just because the group is called the GOP, doesn’t isolate them from US law, no matter what our far-right activist SCOTUS says.
One of our birthright constitutional guarantees is that “we are all equal before the law.” SCOTUS may no longer believe in the Constitution but those of us who still believe in our constitutional republic, do.
Today’s short exercise in logic is as declared, a PSA. Either we are a nation of laws where we are equal before it, or we are no longer the republic that our brilliant founders willed into existence at great personal risk. I’m not trying to tell anyone what to believe but I am strongly making my case for indicting and prosecuting Donald Trump and his henchmen and foot soldiers as domestic terrorists and most especially in regard to January 6th.
Thank you all for allowing me back into your lives for this short but deeply well-informed and undoubtedly controversial opinion.
Cheers,
Paul
Well argued!!