When it comes to terrorist groups, America's home-grown gangs can be overshadowed by their more publicized counterparts in the Middle East.
However, like al-Qaida and other extremist groups, gangs advertise on the Internet, recruit from disgruntled youths, have heavy ties to crime and instill fear in people through acts of terror.
"Gangs are a smaller form of a terrorist organization. Their purpose and mindset are the same: holding territory and expanding their beliefs through recruitment and terror-related activities," said Neal Carrington, antiterrorism officer for the U.S. Army Garrison Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. "Though they don't instill terror on the same level as al-Qaida, they still instill terror in people not to go some place. They disrupt people's way of life."
According to a gang threat assessment compiled by federal officials, gangs in America have swelled to an estimated one million members and are responsible for up to 80 percent of crimes in communities across the nation.
"They (gangs) commit a majority of the crime around the cities," said Carrington. "Most drug trafficking and murders are done by gangs."
Within America, the southeast region is listed as one of the top three areas for gang activity, said Carrington. Gangs in the Atlanta area include Mara Salvatrucha (MS13), the Vice Lords, the Latin Kings, the Gangster Disciples, and the Ku Klux Klan.
The sphere of influence of gangs is not confined to city limits. Gangs have been moving to rural areas because law enforcement officials have developed gang units to counter their illegal activities in urban environments, said Carrington.
The increased influence of gangs is now permeating through most of society, he added, even in sectors not normally associated with gang culture.
One such place is the military.
"Gangs try to recruit heavily from the military due to their training in tactics and weapons," Carrington said.
As a result of these recruitments, some gangs have incorporated military tactics into their crimes. Law enforcement agencies are seeing these tactics in the way gangs are committing crime, Carrington said.
The increased effectiveness in violence is a problem because the victims of this brutality may be innocent bystanders.
The military knowledge gangs are incorporating into their tactics also has another adverse affect. Carrington said gangs and al-Qaida are forming links based on a shared ideology of power through terror. This is a cause of concern among law enforcement and intelligence groups throughout America.
One of the gangs being courted is MS13, which is active in Atlanta. The gang, which has its origins in Los Angeles, consists of Salvadorans, Hondurans and Guatemalans. Their motto is, "We do any crime, any time."
Max Manwaring, professor of Military Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, said "(Since the 1990s) The Maras have served as carriers, security escorts, moving currency and acting as enforcers."
Although agents within the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) said they do not see any nexus between gangs and terrorism currently with the gangs around Atlanta, it is still important to relay any suspicions to the appropriate authorities.
"The best thing to do is to keep observing. Be aware of your surroundings and don't assume it (gang related crime) is only in the inner city," Carrington said. He added that although many gangs may leave their symbols to intimidate and claim territory, the absence of symbols does not mean that a gang was not involved in a crime.
People may be afraid to report gang activities due to fear, Carrington said. In response, local law enforcement agencies provide counseling and protective services. People can also provide anonymous tips. However, it is important for people to not give in to the terror of gangs because citizens are the front line in stopping gangs, he said.
"Law enforcement can't be everywhere," Carrington said. "Though they have gang task forces, they rely heavily on people to report and make them aware."
To help combat gang violence, Georgia has set up the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC). The primary mission of GISAC is to serve as the state's focal point for the collection, assessment, analysis and dissemination of terrorism intelligence relating to Georgia. This integration, which links such organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, state police and the antiterrorism working group on Fort McPherson benefits homeland security and counterterrorism intelligence programs at all levels.
Like operational security everyone can play a part in helping to reduce the terror caused by gangs.
"Don't let them put fear into you," Carrington said.
Sidenote:
The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008, Section 544 (which became law (Public Law 110-181), addresses gang activity in regards to the military.
Entitled "Sec. 544. Prohibition against members of the armed forces participating in criminal street gangs," it states:
"The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to prohibit the active participation by members of the armed forces in a criminal street gang."
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