Recent Propaganda Releases by ISIS and Al-Qa’ida Promote Intensified Attacks by Supporters in the West

February 11, 2020

This assessment from NYPD has information that can be used to support both the federal and New York State grant applications. We highlighted issues concerning the Jewish community.


Open Source Assessment/February 10, 2020

Two recent extremist propaganda releases disseminated by ISIS’s al-Furqan Media and al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) Al-Malahem Media called on Salafi-jihadist supporters to intensify attacks as part of a retaliatory campaign of violence against the West, which may resonate with homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) based in the U.S. Both media campaigns referenced a broad variety of tactics, with ISIS’s statement promoting the use of conventional and chemical weapons, and AQAP’s message promoting simple, low-tech methods, as well as cyberwarfare campaigns.

  • While both propaganda statements called for an escalation in attack efforts, ISIS’s propaganda release notably emphasized a “new phase” geared specifically towards targeting Israeli and Jewish interests. ISIS previously referenced chemical weapons tactics in numerous propaganda graphics, demonstrating the group’s persistent support and interest in this attack method.  While the NYPD is not aware of any credible, active, or specific threats at this time, this statement, coupled with an already heightened threat environment, may serve as a catalyst for increased violence against Jewish communities.
  • Additionally, AQAP’s latest propaganda release may potentially have a stronger resonance with al-Qa’ida-aligned HVEs in the West following the recently confirmed death of Qasim al-Rimi, the leader of AQAP, who was killed in a targeted U.S. counterterrorism operation in Yemen.
  • On January 27, 2020, ISIS’s official media apparatus published a 37-minute Arabic-language audio statement attributed to its new spokesperson, Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi, marking his second speech since the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and spokesperson Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir in separate U.S. counterterrorism operations. While much of the statement—titled “God Destroyed Them and a Similar Fate Awaits the Disbelievers”—revisited ISIS’s narrative of survivability and endurance despite strategic setbacks, al-Qurayshi notably declared war on Israel, and called for ISIS supporters to broadly intensify their attack efforts worldwide.
  •  Throughout the speech, al-Qurayshi claimed that U.S. narratives about ISIS’s defeat in the Middle East are false and that the U.S. has historically been unable to defeat its adversaries, specifically referring to the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in 2011. He asserted that ISIS will persist despite al-Baghdadi’s death. The statement appears to have been recorded in recent weeks, as it also referenced the death of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF) Major General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in early January 2020.
  • After congratulating ISIS militants for waging a retaliatory campaign of violence in response to the deaths of al-Baghdadi and al-Muhajir, al-Qurayshi encouraged supporters to continue the revenge efforts by increasing the frequency of attacks. This specific statement could potentially resonate with lone offenders as a call to arms from core ISIS leadership.
  • Al-Qurayshi announced the beginning of a new stage for ISIS aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem. He specifically urged ISIS affiliates in the Sinai Peninsula and Syria to turn Israeli “settlements and markets into a proving ground for your rockets and chemical weapons.” He also ordered Muslims to thwart the U.S. peace plan referred to as the “Deal of the Century,” and implored Palestinians and Muslims worldwide to target Jews. While previous ISIS messaging also emphasized the targeting of Jewish and Israeli interests in an effort to inspire attacks by established ISIS affiliates and lone offender supporters, the emphasis on these targets in this audio message likely coincides with the latest proposed U.S. peace plan for the Middle East.
  • On February 6, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Qasim al-Rimi, the emir of AQAP and potential heir to al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed in a U.S. military counterterrorism operation. Al-Rimi was previously featured in a propaganda video disseminated by AQAP on February 2 that claimed responsibility for the December 2019 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, praised global al-Qa’ida-affiliated operations, and emphasized the importance of continued retaliatory attacks against U.S. interests. Given al-Rimi’s death, his latest message urging lone offender attacks against the U.S. may also catalyze HVEs to conduct retaliatory attacks.
  • AQAP’s propaganda video featured Qasim al-Rimi, often pairing his image with other al-Qa’ida ideologues. He declared that AQAP was responsible for the December 2019 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola which was conducted by Saudi aviation student Mohammed Saeed al-Shamrani, who he claimed was a sleeper agent for AQAP. Similar to the retaliatory narrative in past AQAP propaganda messages, he stated that the shooting was in revenge for crimes committed by the U.S. across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Additionally, on February 4, the al-Qa’ida-affiliated al-Shabaab echoed this narrative by congratulating AQAP for its role in the Pensacola attack and encouraged continued lone offender operations in the West.
  • Al-Rimi connected the Pensacola shooting to other al-Qa’ida-affiliated operations, stating that it was part of a series of global attacks. He compared al-Shamrani to the group’s other perceived “heroes,” such as Nidal Malik Hassan, the November 2019 Fort Hood shooter, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the brothers who orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, in a likely attempt to encourage similar operations by HVEs in the West.
  • Most significantly, al-Rimi explicitly called for lone offender attacks in the U.S and told supporters to make sure their “chief concern” is “America.” He urged students, journalists, doctors, engineers, merchants, workers, Arab and non-Arabs to use low-tech, simple tactics, including vehicle ramming, firearms, and explosives. He also encourages viewers to consult AQAP’s Inspire magazine for tactical guidance.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NEW YORK CITY

There is currently no direct, credible or specific threat to New York City following these recent propaganda releases by ISIS and AQAP media entities; however, ISIS’s calls for attacks against Jewish communities highlights the importance of vigilance for suspicious activity indicators at similar locations, houses of worship, and Jewish faith community gatherings throughout the five boroughs. In recent months, authorities have disrupted numerous plots by malicious actors from across the violent extremist ideological spectrum who espoused anti-Semitic views and targeted the Jewish community.

Security personnel are advised to be on alert for suspicious behavior that could indicate pre-operational surveillance for an attack. Such behavior could include individuals taking photographs of security procedures in place, and asking probing questions of security/law enforcement officers stationed outside such locations.

Information sharing and prompt reporting of suspicious behavior indicators between the public, private-sector security personnel, faith community leaders, and law enforcement authorities remains vital to the deterrence, detection, and disruption of terrorist activity and the prevention of attacks.

If You See Something, Say Something – 1-888-NYC-SAFE (1-888-692-7233)

JCRC: training here, training there

January 26, 2016

The past few months have been busy with JCRC-NY coordinating major  training sessions for hundreds of institutions in the NY area. There is a heightened awareness of the potential for attacks and a willingness on the part of organizations to “Step up their Game.”

All of the trainings focused on security/terrorism awareness, building a culture of security within organizations and active shooter responses. Kudos and thanks to our wonderful partners, including: NYPD Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. Our common goals are to strengthen the ties between law enforcement and nonprofit organizations and to empower them by giving them to tools and knowledge to respond as well as possible. Here’s some examples of our recent work: Read More JCRC: training here, training there

Next two weeks: traffic, traffic everywhere

September 17, 2015

As you know, from September 24 through September 26, 2015, Pope Francis will be visiting New York City. New Yorkers should anticipate traffic disruptions and various street closures. The use of public transportation is highly encouraged during this period. All New Yorkers in the vicinity of the visit’s events will be affected: traffic, client appointments, critical services, and deliveries in the impacted areas . Please share this information, partner organizations, and employees to allow extra travel time, find alternate routes or locations, or reschedule appointments in the area. Employees and residents of the affected areas should be advised to carry identification at all times.

The MTA New York City Bus system is planning significant service changes to bus routes near the locations of papal events in order to accommodate street closures and pedestrian restrictions. Those service changes will be posted at www.mta.info/nyct. Affected customers are encouraged to use subway service if possible; subway managers will be prepared to adjust train operations based on conditions in stations near papal events. Please note that road closures during the papal visit are subject to change at the discretion of the NYPD. Future updates and traffic advisories will be posted here.

Here is a map of street closings from WNYC:

Please click here to view the full list of streetclosures and traffic restrictions.

Planned Road Closures

Day Closures
Thur, Sep 24 Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 9 p.m.:

  • 50th Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue
  • 51st Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue

The FDR DRIVE (Southbound at 63rd Street and Northbound at South Ferry) will be subject to intermittent closures.

Fri, Sep 25 Beginning at approximately 3 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until 6 a.m.:

  • 5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street
  • 48th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 49th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 50th Street from 5th Ave. to 6th Avenue (will remained closed until approx. 9 p.m.)
  • 51st Street from 5th Ave. to 6th Avenue (will remained closed until approx. 9 p.m.)
  • 52nd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 53rd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 54th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 55th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue

Beginning at approximately 6 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral will be re-opened to vehicular traffic until 10 a.m.:

  • 5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street48th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 49th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 52nd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 53rd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 54th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 55th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue Please note: Crosstown traffic will be reduced to one lane of traffic

Beginning at approximately 10 a.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 9 p.m.:

  • 5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street
  • 48th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 49th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 50th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 51st Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 52nd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 53rd Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 54th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue
  • 55th Street from Madison Ave. to 6th Avenue

Beginning at approximately 2 p.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 9 p.m. (Madison Avenue from 47th Street to 57th Street)


The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to vehicular traffic:

  • 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of the day’s session.
  • 43rd Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue
  • 44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue
  • 45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue
  • 46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5:00 a.m.:

  • 42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue
  • 42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day’s session.


9-11 Memorial. Beginning at approximately midnight, Liberty Street (from Trinity Place to Greenwich Street) and Cedar Street (from Trinity Place to Greenwich Street)  will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 1 p.m.

Beginning at approximately 11 a.m., West Street (North bound on  from Battery Place to Murray Street) will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 1 p.m.West Street (South bound on  from Chambers Street to Albany Street) will be subject to additional intermittent closures/managed access to vehicular traffic and closed to trucks and other large vehicles.


Beginning at approximately midnight streets in the vicinity of the Our Lady Queen of Angels School  (112th Street from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue and the 113th Street Cul-de-sac) will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 6 p.m.Please note: Starting at approximately 3 p.m. trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access 2nd Avenue from 106th Street to 116th Street and 3rd Avenue between 106th Street to 116th Street.


Beginning at approximately midnight the following streets in the vicinity of Central Park will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 7 p.m.:

  • Central Park West between Columbus Circle and West 81st Street
  • W 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway
  • W 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
  • W 63rd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
  • W 64th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
  • W 65th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
  • W 66th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
  • W 67th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 69th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 70th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue • W 73rd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 76th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
  • W 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue

Madison Square Garden. Beginning at approximately midnight, 31st Street from 7th Avenue to 9th Avenue and 33rd Street from 7th Avenue to 9th Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 11:59 p.m.Beginning at approximately noon, the following streets in the vicinity of Madison Square Garden will have intermittent closures/managed access to vehicular traffic:

  • 31st Street from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue – managed access
  • 32nd Street from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue- managed access
  • 33rd Street from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue- managed access
  • 7th Avenue from 30th Street to 34th Street – two western lanes closed
  • 8th Avenue from 31st Street to 33rd Street – one lane only/intermittent closures

Please note: Starting at approximately noon, trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access 7th Avenue from 30th Street to 34th Street or 8th Avenue from 30th Street to 34th Street.

Sat, Sep 26 The FDR DRIVE will be subject to intermittent closures (Southbound at 63rd Street and Northbound at South Ferry)
All 3 days Papal Nuncio’s Residence. Beginning at approximately 8 a.m. on Thursday, 72nd Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue  will be closed to vehicular traffic until Saturday, September 26th at approximately 10 a.m.:

Beginning at approximately 3 p.m. on Thursday until Saturday, September 26th at approximately 10 a.m., 71st Street from Madison Ave. to 5th Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access Madison Ave. from 69th Street to 74th Street while Pope Francis is in residence.

Additional intermittent closures/managed access to vehicular traffic in the vicinity of the Papal Nuncio’s Residence include:

  • 5th Avenue to from 74th Street to 71st Street
  • 70th Street from Park Avenue to 5th Avenue
  • 71st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue
  • 72nd Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue
  • 73rd Street from Madison Avenue to 5th Avenue
  • Madison Ave. from 69th Street to 73rd Street -two western lanes closed

Beginning at approximately 10 p.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the Papal Nuncio’s Residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 6 a.m.:

  • 71st Street from Park Ave. to 5th Avenue
  • 72nd Street from Park Ave. to 5th Avenue
  • 73rd Street from Park Ave. to 5th Avenue
  • Madison Ave. from 70th Street to 73rd Street

Please note: Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access: • 5th Ave. (from 74th Street to 71st Street) and Madison Ave. (from 69th Street to 74th Street).

Street Closures for UN General Assembly

There may be street closures in the following area of Manhattan during the UN General Assembly session between Friday, September 18 and Saturday, October 3, to be determined by the Police Department. The major meetings fall on Monday and Tuesday, September 28th-29th (Sukkoth). Motorcades taking world leaders around town contribute to the gridlock. Consider using public transportation to get around the area.

For daily closings click here.

The affected locations are:

  • Area bounded by East 60th Street on the north, East 34th Street on the south, 1st Avenue on the east, Madison Avenue on the west, All inclusive.
  • 34th Street between FDR Drive and 7th Avenue
  • 42nd Street between FDR Drive and 7th Avenue
  • 50th Street between FDR Drive and 7th Avenue
  • 57th Street between FDR Drive and 7th Avenue
  • 48th Street and 49th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road
  • FDR Drive Service Road between 48th Street and 49th Street
  • 51st Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 52nd Street and 53rd Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue
  • 54th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 55th Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
  • 56th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 6th Avenue between 53rd Street and 55th Street

NYPD Response to Al-Shabaab Video

February 23, 2015

On February 21, 2015, al-Shabaab, al-Qa‘ida’s East Africa-based affiliate, released a video entitled “The Westgate Siege–Retributive Justice”. The video attempts to provide justification for al-Shabaab’s September 2013 terror attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The video concludes by encouraging similar attacks on “American or Jewish-owned” shopping centers and districts, particularly in the West, including the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Following the threat, the NYPD issued a statement saying they were aware of the video and have taken steps to ensure the safety of New Yorkers.

“We are aware of the recent ‘threat’ and we have been in touch with our international and federal liaisons. Although there is no direct threat against New York City, as well as no credible intelligence of such, we have taken appropriate precautionary measures, such as alerting our Critical Response Vehicles and our ‘Hercules’ (special counter-terrorism) Teams. This is something we regularly do in response to terror incidents/threats in other areas of the world that may impact New York City,” the statement from NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Stephen Davis said.

Remember to remain vigilant amid these threats. If you see something, say something! You can report suspicious activity to 1-888-NYC-SAFE (1-888-692-7233) or NYCSAFE@nypd.org. If you are interested in training courses for your staff, such as Terrorism Awareness for the Security Professional, Detecting Hostile Surveillance and Recommendations for Active Shooter Incidents, please do not hesitate to contact the SHIELD office at 718-615-7506 or at CTSHIELD@nypd.org.

Sources:

Coming next week: UN General Assembly

September 16, 2014
UN General Assembly, closing session 2014

Are you thinking about going anywhere in Manhattan next week? Plan ahead. The UN General Assembly and associated meetings are scheduled from September 22nd until September 27th. Hundreds of heads of state, foreign ministers, diplomats and other officials move around the city and snarl traffic. Expect to see a heightened police presence at hotels and other venues around the city.

The NYPD and DOT do their best to minimize the intrusion on New Yorker’s lives, but please allow sufficient time for delays in Midtown East. Streets throughout the city will close as motorcades proceed from meeting to meeting…reception to reception.

The area around the  UN is significantly affected. View a map of the pre-determined street closings here.

JCRC offers $5,000 reward for “knockout” assailants

December 04, 2013

The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction (or a finding of delinquency) of individuals responsible for any of the reported, so-called “knockout” assaults in New York City.

Michael S. Miller, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) explained, “These attacks have dislodged the sense of safety and security that most New Yorkers feel when they walk our streets. The cowardly assailants often prey on the most vulnerable: Jews and Christians, Blacks and Whites. There have already been arrests. We want to give the NYPD an additional tool to stop these crimes as quickly as possible”.

The so-called “knockout” attacks are being investigated as possible hate crimes by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force. Michael Miller continued, “We thank Police Commissioner Kelly for his response to this outbreak. The Hate Crimes Task Force has some of the finest investigators in the NYPD, who are employing every resource available to arrest those responsible. We offer this reward in order to help make the streets safe for all New Yorkers.”

Because there are multiple attacks, the JCRC-NY will work with the NYPD to determine the amount of each reward, up to a maximum total of $5,000.

Anyone with information about any of the so-called “knockout” attacks should contact NYPD Crimestoppers at 1-(800) 577-TIPS. Your identity and information will be kept anonymous.

Street closures during UN Week

September 18, 2013

Due to the visit of world leaders for the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and other High-Level Meetings, there will be street closures and other traffic restrictions, security check points, and extremely limited parking in the vicinity of the United Nations from Monday, September 23, 2013 through Wednesday, October 2, 2013.

See the details on road closings, other restrictions and help numbers at UN_General_Assembly_20130917

Terrorism’s Threat to Cities Large and Small | Ray Kelly

May 29, 2013

Raymond W. Kelly | Commissioner, NYPD

FBI-NEIA Major Cities Chiefs Conference
Grapevine, Texas
May 29, 2013.

Thank you for that introduction Charlie. I want to commend you, the FBI National Executive Institute and the Major City Chiefs for bringing us together and organizing such an excellent conference. A few months ago, as part of the group’s constant efforts to stay ahead of the curve and plan for this conference, I was asked to touch on the subject of technological-driven policing in my presentation. In light of recent events in Boston and the United Kingdom, I believe a more appropriate title would be: “Terrorism’s Threat to Cities Large and Small.” That is what I’d like to talk to you about today.

In the wake of the bombings at the Boston marathon last month and the savage killing of a British soldier at a military barracks in Woolwich, southeast of London a week ago, much has been written and said in the media about the so-called “new normal,” the underlying threat we face from homegrown, smaller-scale, yet still very lethal terrorist attacks. From the standpoint of New York City there’s not much new about the “new normal” at all. We’ve been contending with it for some time and so have others.

In June 2009, Abdul-Hakim Mujahid Mohammed, formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe, carried out a drive-by shooting on an army recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas killing two soldiers. He told police that he had intended to kill as many army personnel as possible. Later that same year, U.S. Army Major Nidal Hissan opened fire at the Fort Hood, Texas Soldier Readiness Processing Center, killing 12 soldiers and one civilian and wounding more than 30 other people. In the past year-and-a-half alone, 38 people have been arrested on terrorism-related charges in the United States and Canada, from New York; to Chicago; Tampa; Mobile, Alabama; Aurora, Illinois; Toronto; Broward County, Florida; and Southern California to name a few.

A big reason for the increase in the tempo of arrests is the outstanding work of the FBI to identify would-be terrorists and apprehend them. In New York, we’ve benefited tremendously from our partnership with the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

We’ve been the subject of 16 terrorist plots since nine-eleven targeting everything from subways, to synagogues, to airports and iconic locations like Times Square, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center. They’ve been defeated thanks to good work by the NYPD, our federal partners, some combination of the two or just plain luck. However, we are concerned that the success, from a terrorist point of view, of the latest attacks in Boston and London, coupled with the notoriety they’ve received, could inspire even more attempts in venues beyond major cities. Indeed this is already happening, as we saw in the case of a French soldier stabbed outside of Paris last weekend.

With that in mind, there are three main points I’d like to make today. First, the terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland remains severe, complex and unrelenting. Second, medium sized cities such as Boston are now in play for terrorism events. Third, the crude and simplistic attacks Al Qaeda has been encouraging its followers to carry out are now being realized. As we’ve seen, they’re capable of doing tremendous damage.

Let’s start with the enduring threat, which we see emanating from three distinct but intertwined sources. One, Al Qaeda central, which is based primarily in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Though diminished greatly by the U.S. military, it still has a functioning leadership as well as an ability to communicate and spread the core ideology that fuels radical islamists worldwide. Al Qaeda central still burns with an intense and unrelenting hostility toward America. Its leaders believe they are at war with the United States and that time is on their side. There’s no doubt that key leaders, foremost among them Ayman al-Zawahiri, have not and will not give up on the hope of executing another nine-eleven scale attack. Their ability to accomplish this at the moment is severely constrained, maybe even negligible, as many in the U.S. intelligence community believe. But it would be a mistake to assume their desire to carry out a mass attack on American soil does not persist to this day. The group’s resilience – indeed, its continued existence in the face of the pounding it has absorbed from the U.S. and our allies for more than a decade — means we cannot assume they will abandon their goal to incur mass casualties.

Next is the spread of Al Qaeda allies and affiliates throughout Africa and the Middle East. The list of these groups continues to grow. They include: Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula, based in Yemen and the source of numerous plots against the United States; Al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb, based in Algeria with a growing capacity to act beyond its base; Al Shabbab, Al Qaeda’s Somalian affiliate which continues to attract followers from the Somali diaspora here and abroad; Ansar al Sharia in Libya, responsible for the Benghazi attack; and Ansar al Dine, the Al Qaeda affiliate fueled by weapons and personnel coming from post-Qadaffi Libya. Then there are Al Qaeda networks in Egypt’s Sinai desert, something rarely seen before the Arab spring.

Two other Al Qaeda-linked terrorist organizations stand out in importance today. The first is Al Qaeda of Iraq, considered defunct as recently as 2008. Its powerful re-emergence is a measure of the resilience of such groups. The second is the Al Nusra front in Syria, an Al Qaeda organization spawned by Al Qaeda in Iraq. It leads the rebellion against the Assad regime and is fueling the global jihad by attracting personnel from around the world, including North America.

So how do these affiliates overseas pose a threat to us in the United States? For one thing, they send Americans back home to attack us here.

In 2009, one of the highest-ranking members of Al Qaeda central recruited Najibullah Zazi, a native of Queens and a resident of the Denver-Aurora area, to carry out attacks on New York City. Zazi and two associates had travelled to Pakistan hoping to fight U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Instead, they were given training in explosives and sent back to the United States armed with the knowledge to build a bomb. Their plot was subsequently defeated through a joint investigation between the NYPD and the FBI.

In 2010, authorities in Chicago arrested Pakistani-American David Headley. Headley had met with leaders of Lashkar-E-Taiba in Pakistan, an Al Qaeda like-minded group, and conducted surveillance for its November 2008 commando assault on Mumbai.

At least 20 young men from Minneapolis, all of Somali descent, joined Al Shabbab in Somalia over the past few years. Our concern is: what happens if those who survive return to the U.S.?

In 2009, Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula dispatched Umar Abdulmuttallab, the underwear bomber, to blow up an airliner over Detroit. One year later, the same group dropped off two “printer bombs” at UPS and FedEx offices in Yemen addressed to the United States. The aim was to blow up the deadly cargo in planes over the eastern seaboard of the United States. Fortunately, the packages were intercepted in England and Dubai.

In 2011, Samir Khan, the intellectual father of Al Qaeda’s on-line magazine “inspire,” was killed in a U.S. drone strike. Khan was a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Of late, we’ve seen how the Al Nusra front in Syria is attracting individuals from places such as Illinois to the battlefield there.

Beyond Al Qaeda core, its affiliates, allies and like-minded groups, the danger from homegrown terrorists is a growing feature of the threat landscape we face in the United States and elsewhere. Inspire magazine and propaganda like it provide an easy road map for getting involved. The most infamous example of that is the 2010 Inspire article entitled, “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom,” a how-to guide for using readily available household materials to build a bomb. It has now become the go-to manual for terrorists bent on destruction, as was the case in Boston and a number of the plots against New York.

Travel to training camps abroad simply isn’t necessary and increasingly, it’s not part of the profile we uncover when a homegrown terrorist is revealed. The daunting, almost invisible nature of those pursuing “individual jihad” transforms the threat in an important way. Most importantly, it places mid-sized and even smaller urban centers in the United States in the crosshairs of terrorism. For the individual jihadist, size matters less. You can’t get much less complicated then running someone down with a car and then hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and long knives. If terrorism is theater, New York and London will always be in the spotlight. But I think we learned with the Boston marathon that all the world is becoming a stage.

While the world was horrified by these events, Internet chatter among the jihadi forums we check regularly shows that many think of the perpetrators in Boston and Woolwich as heroes. In both cases, we saw that the terrorists were prepared to confront police and die for their cause. Officers in Watertown and Woolwich did heroic jobs, but you can see what we’re up against. Unfortunately, you don’t need much more than a crude explosive device to kill, maim, and capture the world’s attention all at once. This means each of us has to be more vigilant than ever.

The challenge with big, complicated terrorism plots is the potential for catastrophic consequences. But they are easier to spot. The challenge with the attacks we saw in Boston and Woolwich and the several that have failed in New York are that they’re small and hard to detect. Faisal Shahzad was on no one’s radar when he drove his SUV filled with explosives into Times Square in May 2010. We just got lucky in that he elected to use less potent ingredients in the hopes of avoiding detection during his acquisition of them.

The ease with which terrorists can travel within the United States and beyond also makes inter-agency cooperation a must. For this reason the NYPD created Operation Sentry. This is a dynamic, intelligence-driven partnership among 140 police and law enforcement agencies throughout the northeast and other parts of the country. Its premise is built on real world events. For example, the plot to bomb the World Trade Center in 1993 was hatched across the Hudson River, in New Jersey. It was there that the chemicals were mixed, that the truck bomb was assembled and laced with cyanide. The staging area was well outside New York City. In 2005 when suicide bombers struck the London transit system, they did so using explosive-filled backpacks assembled in the city of Leeds, 180 miles north of the target. And Faisal Shahzad constructed his car bomb in Connecticut.

Our partners in Operation Sentry include the Boston Police Department. Immediately after the bombings in Boston, we assigned a lieutenant and two sergeants to the Boston Regional Intelligence Center to gather information. Last week we hosted a group of 20 members of Massachusetts law enforcement to discuss policing major events including July 4th.

In the aftermath of the attacks, we also dispatched a lieutenant from our intelligence division to Youngstown, Ohio to meet with executives from Phantom Fireworks. This is the company that unwittingly sold the fireworks to both the Tsarnayev brothers and Faisal Shahzad that they used to construct their bombs. We want Phantom to spread the word to its employees working at 1,200 locations nationwide to be aware that individuals seeking to build explosive devices could exploit their products. We’re asking them to deny or flag suspicious purchases and to alert us if they believe there are possible links to terrorism. This is part and parcel of our Operation Nexus program, in which we partner with thousands of business owners in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey to heighten their awareness of potential terrorist activity. We’ve also established a program with 11,000 members of the region’s private security industry, sharing information and training through an initiative called NYPD shield.

To defend ourselves we must also maintain a good working relationship with the FBI and other federal partners through the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Despite the disagreements you’ve heard about from time to time, the NYPD and the FBI have a strong and essential partnership. Having said that, elected officials and their police chiefs have an obligation to do all they can to protect their citizens. In order to do that, they need to know the severity of the threat. Local police departments must insist on receiving as much information as soon as possible.

The only way to catch a lone wolf is through shared intelligence gathering. That’s why our efforts to defend against terrorism must be proactive, so that we can find those who are in the earliest stages of planning violent acts and stop them. Often times, the use of undercover police officers may be the only effective way to identify homegrown terrorists who are often living here legally and operating alone or with just one or two accomplices. Ideally, through strong partnerships, good intelligence and expert analysis, we’ll identify plots in their earliest stages.

In New York, we’re also installing an expanded network of smart cameras and license plate readers which, when tied together, greatly enhance investigations. Smart cameras have the capacity to alert us to the presence of suspicious packages before they detonate, should one be an actual explosive device. Cameras are a very powerful tool for law enforcement. In my opinion, you can’t have enough of them. We should all be encouraged by the fact that the public is overwhelmingly supportive of their use. Recent polls show 80% approve. Although excellent in helping to apprehend suspects after the fact, this technology still amounts to “just in time” prevention. The vast number of targets available to terrorists make it virtually impossible in all instances to intercept a device after its been planted. Ideally, we need to disrupt plots long before the backpack is left on the sidewalk.

To sum up: good intelligence remains the key to prevention. The threat of terrorism has not diminished. It is here to stay and we have to face that reality. Intelligence gathering is essential, including the use of undercover officers, to meet the continuing threat of terrorism lawfully and effectively. Technology is a powerful tool but it has its limitations. Finally, partnership and information sharing have never been more important in keeping our cities safe.

The fight against terrorism is a long haul, one that all of us are in together. Even with combat thousands of miles away, the front can return to our own backyards at any time. We all have to be prepared for that eventuality. The good news is that U.S. law enforcement is better prepared than ever before to meet the threat. And we will only become more so as a result of this conference and our continued collaboration. Thank you again for this opportunity to speak and let’s keep up the outstanding work together.