Homeland Security Department Warns of Terrorist Threat During Holidays

November 11, 2021 by Tom Ramstack
Homeland Security Department Warns of Terrorist Threat During Holidays
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

WASHINGTON — Veterans Day on Thursday included the usual gatherings at war monuments but with a special warning from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about terrorism risks.

The United States faces a “heightened threat environment” from domestic extremists and foreign terrorist groups through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, the agency warned Wednesday.

The keynote event for this Veterans Day was the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

President Biden laid a wreath at the tomb. A flyover featured several of the latest military aircraft. It was followed by a concert at the Veterans Day Memorial Amphitheater.

All of the events were well-attended by the public and streamed online, which is part of the reason the Homeland Security Department issued its advisory bulletin.

“The Homeland continues to face a diverse and challenging threat environment as it approaches several religious holidays and associated mass gatherings that in the past have served as potential targets for acts of violence,” the bulletin said.

The warning is based partly on information the FBI gained from monitoring online forums that advocate extremist ideologies and violence. 

“The ongoing global pandemic continues to exacerbate these threats, in part due to perceived government overreach in implementation of public health safety measures,” the bulletin says. 

At the same time, Islamic extremists are reportedly regrouping after the U.S. military exit from Afghanistan allowed them to regain control over the country. Military analysts testified to Congress after the withdrawal in August that terrorists could be ready to strike the U.S. targets within six months.

The Homeland Security Department bulletin said the “foreign terrorist organizations” seek to “inspire potential followers to conduct attacks in the United States.”

The bulletin did not warn of a specific U.S. target, only that the holidays present a tempting opportunity for terrorists.

Biden ignored any potential threats in his Veterans Day statement, instead focusing on gratitude to veterans.

“Fulfilling our nation’s promise to our veterans and military families, caregivers and survivors is not only a moral imperative — it is crucial to our national security and to maintaining the finest military the world has ever known,” Biden’s statement said.

Tom can be reached at [email protected].

A+
a-
  • holidays
  • Homeland Security
  • Terrorism
  • threats
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    In The News

    Musk's AI Company Scrubs Inappropriate Posts After Grok Chatbot Makes Antisemitic Comments

    (AP) — Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company said Wednesday that it's taking down “inappropriate posts" made by its Grok chatbot, which... Read More

    (AP) — Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company said Wednesday that it's taking down “inappropriate posts" made by its Grok chatbot, which appeared to include antisemitic comments that praised Adolf Hitler. Grok was developed by Musk’s xAI and pitched as alternative to “woke AI” interactions from rival chatbots... Read More

    July 8, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    IRS Says Churches Should Be Allowed to Endorse Political Candidates

    WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service said in a court filing on Monday that it believes churches should be permitted... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service said in a court filing on Monday that it believes churches should be permitted to endorse political candidates, abandoning a decades-old rule that has been in place since the Eisenhower administration. The eye-opening statement came in a filing in the... Read More

    July 8, 2025
    by Alexa Citrin
    Study Indicates Decline in Children’s Health 

    WASHINGTON — A new study has found that the health of U.S. children has deteriorated since 2007, with notably higher... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A new study has found that the health of U.S. children has deteriorated since 2007, with notably higher rates of obesity, chronic illness and mental health issues becoming more common at earlier ages than in the past. The study, published in the Journal of... Read More

    July 8, 2025
    by Tom Ramstack
    Gun Rights Groups Sue to Block National Firearms Act Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — A coalition of Second Amendment advocates is suing to invalidate gun ownership restrictions that were revised by the... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A coalition of Second Amendment advocates is suing to invalidate gun ownership restrictions that were revised by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act President Donald Trump signed July 4. The bill removes many of the National Firearms Act taxes associated with gun ownership. The... Read More

    July 8, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Supreme Court Lifts Stay on Trump Effort to Slash Federal Workforce

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court’s order that had prevented the Trump administration from moving... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court’s order that had prevented the Trump administration from moving forward with planned mass layoffs and the dismantling of a number of federal agencies. In its unsigned ruling, the court said an executive order signed by... Read More

    July 8, 2025
    by Alexa Citrin
    Trump Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Campus Activists Goes to Trial 

    BOSTON — A trial over the Trump administration’s attempts to deport international students and scholars involved in pro-Palestinian activism on... Read More

    BOSTON — A trial over the Trump administration’s attempts to deport international students and scholars involved in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses began on Monday with the plaintiffs arguing the efforts threaten to upend free speech rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. “Not since the McCarthy... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top