Time August 19, 2019When presidenT george W. bush AcknoWl-
edged that America faced a significant new terrorist
threat after Sept. 11, 2001—less than eight months
after he took office—some critics nonetheless ar-
gued he deserved blame for failing to take action
earlier. But Bush’s response garnered almost univer-
sal acclaim. He made it his mission—and the mis-
sion of his Administration—to prevent future at-
tacks. As a result, protecting America from foreign
terrorism stands as one of the Bush Administra-
tion’s greatest achievements.
On Aug. 5, President Donald Trump declared
that America must defeat the “sinister ideologies”
of racism, bigotry and white supremacy. People con-
sumed with those views are responsible for a grow-
ing number of violent crimes motivated by a desire
to send a political message, the definition of terror-
ism. If President Trump wants to replicate Presi-
dent Bush’s success by launching a war on domestic
terrorism, he should focus on deterring people from
becoming violent white supremacists.
Prevention requires political leaders—not just
police and prosecutors—to think holistically about
what causes white- supremacist ideologies to fester
and foment violence. People are not pre disposed
at birth to buy high- powered guns and fire them
at strangers. By studying common attributes and
experiences of terrorists around the world, we can
learn how to dissuade others from following the
same path. Just as doctors fight communicable dis-
eases by strengthening antibodies and treating early
symptoms, a comprehensive strategy to prevent do-
mestic terrorism should include protecting vulnera-
ble people from indoctrination and catching incipi-
ent terrorists before they strike.
President Trump identified several possible tac-
tics in his remarks on Aug. 5. Most important, he
affirmed that racial- extremist propaganda is a con-
tagion that radicalizes vulnerable people via the
Internet. Identifying pernicious racist material and
encouraging Internet companies to restrict access
to it—as they do with ISIS propaganda—may pro-
tect some from terrorist indoctrination.
As part of the Internet strategy, we should alert
the public about the volume of divisive racist propa-
ganda posted by agents of Russia and other adver-
saries. Warning people that propaganda is literally
un-American may help build resistance.
The President also suggested that domestic
terrorism may be curtailed by establishing pro-
tocols to report threats posted on social media,
ending the glorification of violence through grue-
some video games, reforming mental- health laws
and prohibiting firearm possession by people
who pose a grave risk to public safety. Legislators
should evaluate those ideas and invite additional
recommendations.
Criminal prosecution is another important tool,
but most terrorists are not deterred by the prospect
of death or incarceration after an attack; indeed,
that is often part of their plan. Prosecution for noto-
rious terrorist attacks therefore does not discourage
copycats. To the contrary, extremists use publicity
about successful attacks to inspire future attackers,
as we have seen.
Consequently, federal law- enforcement tools
and resources are put to their best use when they
are employed to develop cases against aspiring ter-
rorists before they engage in mayhem, particularly
when prosecution by local authorities would not re-
sult in a significant term of incarceration. Pro active
cases are often more challenging and always more
controversial—because the suspects have not com-
mitted significant terrorist acts—but they are enor-
mously effective in preventing crime.aFteR sePt. 11, Attorney General John Ashcroft
ordered federal agencies to disrupt incipient ter-
rorist schemes by pursuing any available criminalHOW TO STOP
WHITE- SUPREMACIST
TERRORISM
By Rod Rosenstein