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Following the horrific events which occurred on September 11, 2001, the U.S. has become the target of an increased number of domestic attack plots involving homegrown Islamic extremists. In particular, the years between 2008 through 2010 revealed an uptick in U.S.-based attack plots, including three distinct plots advanced by U.S. persons Bryant Neal Vinas, Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay, Adis Medunjanin, and Faisal Shahzad. Each of these five homegrown Islamic extremists participated in attack plots which targeted the people and infrastructure of New York City. Through an analysis of existing scholarship on terrorism, U.S. court documents, online videos, official government press releases, and news reports regarding the three separate homeland plots involving Vinas, Zazi, Ahmedzay, Medunjanin, and Shahzad this thesis demonstrates that each of the three attack plans shared three key similarities. The homegrown extremists relied on the use of the Internet, a support network, and knowledge gained at Pakistan-based terrorist camps in order to advance separate international plots to harm the U.S. As such these three critical commonalities serve as strong indicators of attack planning against the U.S. In order to protect the nation from future harm, homeland security experts must pay attention to and counter these three critical elements as homegrown extremists and their supporters will continue to pose a grave danger to the safety and security of the United States. |
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