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Hayden warns against growing homegrown terror threat

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    Former CIA director on surprising new study

  • Duration 6:11
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It's new warnings from former CIA Director General Michael Hayden after an investigative report shows that homegrown terror.

Is on the rise.

Watch that's.

Future attacks against the American homeland.

Will be less well organized.

Less complex.

Less likely to succeed.

Less lethal even if they do succeed.

They're just going to be more numerous.

And I think.

I would -- and more likely to be conducted by citizens or long term residents.

Of the United States.

General Michael Hayden joins me now he is a principal at the Chertoff group -- well general good morning good to have you here -- Martha thank you get this report that came out of Britain.

And it's very disturbing in terms of what it shows in terms of -- the future terrorist is that might hit us here home Ted tells little bit about that.

Sure very scholarly report great discipline very well done.

Our British friends and Henry Jackson society looked at the court records of those convicted of terrorism the United States since the mid 1990s and al-Qaeda terrorism and we conclusions -- were surprising.

Over half of these individuals were American citizens.

60% of them had at least a college degree.

60% of them were working or in school.

At the time of of of their act at the time.

There arrest and about 25% of them were actually converts to Islam.

This kind of cuts against the grain of that.

A -- general impression.

With regard to did it domestic threat to -- with regard to the self radicalized threat so in that sense it's really important information.

Yet every year you're describing his people as soon -- sort of established in this country to some extent.

Successful wandering and and and susceptible and vulnerable to somebody swaying them into doing something.

-- -- -- very deliberate very determined said the biggest question is how we find these people and how to stop them from doing what they want to pull off.

While the and that's why this report is so very important and we've got large ethnic communities we called -- -- communities when I was at CIA and in Dearborn Michigan -- Minneapolis Saint Paul or or Fremont California.

And these folks could be made to be more suspicious of their own government.

By how we go about doing what you just described.

Now with this data we can be more precise we can be more focus we have a a deeper understanding of the group.

For whom the al-Qaeda message seems more.

Rather than less likely to stick and again I mean the overall impression is so many of these Americans have nothing to do with the al-Qaeda movement but -- We've got a better understanding of where that message might have some resonance and that's very important.

And you look at the hit lock key and he has been an inspiration to so many just keep legal across the board.

In terms of -- his son and -- us residing in Times Square and and a whole list of them.

And he can't see -- it what what do you think about that.

Well -- that first and we have to bid to be very clear about.

That you and I are talking about this today Martha is a reflection of counterterrorism success.

What it is al-Qaeda wanted to do that complex.

High -- attack against iconic target.

They are almost incapable of doing now so we're we're looking at at these these lower order threats to the first thing to keep in mind is we are actually safer.

Then then we used to be and now we need to look at these residual threats.

With -- changing our DNA as a free and as a welcoming society those are actually great strengths in the war against terrorism.

You know with that opens up this whole can of worms of privacy and how you go -- These people I know you have you know spent a lot of time -- happy about this working out when you're in the administration.

But hit it out his son I mean that was not -- -- categorized at Fort Hood as a terrorist attack.

Regardless of the fact that the writing many would say what was very much on the wall.

And the other issue of you know now -- -- drones surveillance across this country looking for Americans who are supposedly connected to these organizations wanna -- -- arm.

Right well for hood was a terrorist attack.

No matter what.

Some people choose to describe it adds that that this data -- is very important because it now allows us to address this problem.

Without prejudice and what -- political correctness.

And -- end up as a professional intelligence officer that's -- space you really wanna be.

What about the future I mean you look at that the posture the new administration John Brennan likely.

According to most folks and you say you think he'll be confirmed correct for a -- -- director.

Right now I think -- will be fine as director Rick did it'd -- interesting thing for me is is the the whole new team.

When you -- secretary hagel.

Secretary Kerry director Brennan with the folks if they're replacing.

-- Clinton Petraeus.

Gates Panetta.

I think the new team.

Actually thinks like the president may be even more than the president does.

And would not be as inclined to push back against some of the president's natural instincts and second -- I think.

It does -- it really does because you do want that tension.

Between powerful cabinet officials and the White House but I think the new team.

We'll be more inclined to cut the budget deeper.

Go with -- footprints withdraw from Afghanistan more rapidly be more reluctant to engage in difficult situations abroad.

And more rely on on things below the surface like Covert action -- Martha and some circumstances they may be the right decisions.

That overall I think this group will be less inclined to pressed back against the president's personal -- There's some serious concerns I would say general thank you very much always about you have -- -- -- -- --

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