Peter Finn points to a study by the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions examining mostly domestic terror plots between 1999 and 2009. The study has a few eye-opening stats, but here's the first one:
Note the importance of the public role in helping start investigations. Finn notes that the study acknowledges that it may underestimate the role of intelligence agencies in helping foil plots because "they worked from open sources and focused primarily on domestic cases," but the study nevertheless concludes that "establishing trust with persons in or near radical movements is jeopardized by tactics such as racial, ethnic, religious, or ideological profiling." In total, "more than 80% of foiled terrorist plots were discovered via observations from law enforcement or the general public," or as Finn puts it, "old-fashioned police work." A recent report from the Muslim Public Affairs Council posited that Muslim American communities had been involved in foiling about a third of the Islam-related domestic terror plots since 9/11.
Also a reality check on the ratio of Islam-inspired terrorism to other forms of domestic terrorism:
While 40 of 86 plots between 1999 and 2009 have been inspired or initiated by "al-Qaeda and affiliated movements," 32 have come from white supremacist or militia groups, according to the study.
The report advises that special attention needs to be paid to "lone wolves," but those kinds of plots are hard to disrupt because weapons are easily available and communication between conspirators is often what tips off the authorities. There are simply fewer "moving parts," so to speak.
