Instructor: BG Russell Howard, USA (ret.)

This seminar combines both theoretical tools and practical analysis via a comprehensive study of “homegrown” terrorist threats within the United States. The course is divided into three sections culminating in a final “capstone” project. Section One will introduce the course by briefly summarizing the threat of “homegrown” extremist groups from across the political and ideological spectrum while briefly touching on “imported” extremist groups. This section also will also cover past and current domestic counterterrorism strategies through the use of case studies and other analytical products. Section Two will review current U.S. domestic terrorism laws, policies, and structures, the role of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and the “interagency process”. Section Three will present how various analytical tools such as risk analysis, imagery and network analysis along with the intelligence cycle are used in counterterrorism operations in an effort to provide the students with the necessary skill set to complete their final “capstone” project. Finally, for their Capstone Project, “analytical teams” of 3-4 students will integrate everything they have learned throughout the course and conduct a “deep dive” analysis of a domestic terrorist group.