Homeland Security issues National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin warning effective June 7 through Nov 30.
***Originally published June 7, 2022 at 10:00 am.
QUICK FACTS:
- “The United States remains in a heightened threat environment” and “several recent attacks have highlighted the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment,” according to a bulletin issued on Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
- “In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,” the bulletin goes on to say. “These targets could include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents.”
- “Threat actors” who commit such violence are driven by factors such as “personal grievances, reactions to current events, and adherence to violent extremist ideologies, including racially or ethnically motivated or anti-government/anti-authority violent extremism.”
- The publication mentions the expected overturning of Roe v. Wade—the 1973 Supreme Court decision allowing mothers the right to kill their baby—as motivation for individuals to encourage “violence, including against government, religious, and reproductive healthcare personnel and facilities, as well as those with opposing ideologies.”
- The DHS bulletin also warns against “foreign adversaries” from terrorist organizations and nation state adversaries who “remain intent on exploiting the threat environment to promote or inspire violence, sow discord, or undermine U.S. democratic institutions.”
- “We continue to assess that the primary threat of mass casualty violence in the United States stems from lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances,” the bulletin summary concludes.
BULLETIN WARNS AGAINST “CONSPIRACY THEORIES” AND “FALSE OR MISLEADING NARRATIVES”:
- The DHS bulletin singles out “conspiracy theories and false or misleading narratives promoting U.S. societal division,” citing those “claiming U.S. support for bio-weapons labs abroad.”
- However, the Biden admin’s own Undersecretary of State, Victoria Nuland, admitted during a March Senate hearing that there are biological research facilities in Ukraine that are under the control of the United States government. In fact, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine states on its website that the U.S. Department of Defense runs a “Biological Threat Reduction Program” in the country.
READ THE BULLETIN:
BACKGROUND:
- The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Editorial Board voiced concerns last month about the likelihood that some left-wing “abortion fanatic” might “commit an act of violence” in response to the court’s expected decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
- “Politico said the Alito draft was circulated in February, so the Justices have had ample time to absorb it and respond,” the May WSJ piece read. “We hate to say this, but some abortion fanatic could decide to commit an act of violence to stop a 5-4 ruling. It’s an awful thought, but we live in fanatical times.”
- CompassCare, a pro-life reproductive health organization serving patients in the Rochester and Buffalo, New York area, said Tuesday that its Buffalo office was “firebombed” by pro-abortion terrorists.
