American Muslim Extremists a Growing Threat

In the past two years, more than 30 American Muslim extremists have been arrested on various terror-related charges including providing material support to terrorists and plotting to plant bombs in the U.S., the Anti-Defamation League reports.

The organization warns that these extremists, "who have domestic addresses and U.S. passports, constitute a growing terrorist threat in the United States."

That threat came into focus in November when authorities say Virginia-born Muslim Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at Ft. Hood, Texas, leaving 13 people dead and 29 wounded.

Two months earlier, American Muslim convert Michael Finton was charged with attempting to bomb the federal courthouse in Springfield, IL.

That same month, Najibullah Zazi, a U.S. permanent resident, was charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass distraction in the U.S. Officials believe he was plotting to blow up commuter trains.

These cases are a troubling reminder of the broad problem of increased radicalization among some of the domestic Muslim population. Many of these extremists are fueled by hatred of Jews, Israel, and America, and have been influenced, to some degree,by the ideologies of extreme terrorist intolerance overseas.

One factor fueling the threat is the increased availability on the Internet of extremist propaganda in English. This material,previously available largely in Arabic, might include instructions for carrying out suicide bombings.

This is a serious problem that's growing, and promises to keep growing.