‘Muddy Distinctions’ Between International, Domestic Terror

Over the last decade and a half, U.S. law enforcement and intelligence communities have remained vigilant in their efforts to defend the homeland against terrorist adversaries. However, the evolution of terrorist group’s use of the internet and other technological means to disseminate their propaganda has presented a new type of challenge for law enforcement and intelligence, as the distinction between what constitutes domestic terrorism and international terrorism has become increasingly fuzzy. The Cipher Brief sat down with Mike Leiter, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, to discuss the evolving nature of terrorist threats and how the classification of terrorism as domestic versus international may be obsolete.

The Cipher Brief: How does the U.S. distinguish between domestic and international terrorism?