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NARRATOR:
9/11 plus 15.
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The footprints
of the fallen towers
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are now a haunting memorial
to what and who was lost here.
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The waterfalls flow,
and so do the tears.
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The children who come here have
lived their entire lives
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under the shadow of terrorism.
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What has become normal now
was unheard of then.
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JOHN CARLIN:
We're in an incredibly
complicated time right now
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when it comes
to the terrorist threats.
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00:00:55,322 --> 00:01:00,125
And what we've seen really is
a fundamental shift in strategy.
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NARRATOR:
Al Qaeda had aimed
at this target before.
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But in 1993, we didn't awaken
from our slumber.
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After 9/11, there was
no ignoring the need
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for urgent action.
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CARLIN:
We developed
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an apparatus that became
really good at figuring out
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what they were trying to do
and disrupting it
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before they could succeed.
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NARRATOR:
We put boots on the ground,
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drones in the air,
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and systematically killed
the ringleaders.
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(explosions)
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We tightened security
at airports
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and employed new technologies.
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Al Qaeda is
drastically weakened,
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but terrorism as a strategy
is still with us...
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(explosion)
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Benefitting from
new technology as well.
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The internet and social media
specifically
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are really kind of game changers
for extremism.
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They offer extremists advantages
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00:02:06,460 --> 00:02:08,494
that they don't offer
mainstream people.
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NARRATOR:
The Islamic State perfected
the pitch online--
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professionally produced videos
of warrior heroes
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living in utopia, all aimed
at recruiting new members.
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00:02:21,642 --> 00:02:23,842
HUMERA KHAN:
If you include all its branches,
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ISIS has more than
40 media companies
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and each of them has
a different specialization.
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And so the volume
of what is put out is huge.
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CARLIN:
By crowd-sourcing terrorism,
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they just called upon people
throughout the world
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to, one, join them as foreign
terrorist fighters
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in Iraq and Syria
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and, two, if they couldn't
join them over there,
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"Kill where you live."
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NARRATOR:
We saw the deadly consequences
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of this new internet-fueled,
self-radicalized terrorism
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00:02:51,839 --> 00:02:58,377
in Boston, San Bernardino,
Orlando, and Nice.
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It is a fact that
many of the cases
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00:03:00,247 --> 00:03:01,747
that we've seen
in the United States
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00:03:01,815 --> 00:03:04,750
simply would not have happened
in the pre-social media era,
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because the material
just wasn't that accessible.
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00:03:06,887 --> 00:03:12,724
NARRATOR:
It's no longer just a war
of bullets, drones, and bombs.
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Technology has created a new
battlefield, online.
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Are there new technologies
to intervene
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00:03:20,534 --> 00:03:25,070
before vulnerable people
answer the call of extremism?
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NARRATOR:
Can science take us into
the mind of a terrorist?
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"15 Years of Terror"--
right now on NOVA.
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Major funding for NOVA is
provided by the following...
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00:03:54,735 --> 00:03:59,171
self-radicalized terrorists,
empowered by social media.
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The war on terror was
tailor-made to defeat al Qaeda.
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But troops, drones,
and tighter borders
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00:04:08,282 --> 00:04:11,416
offer no defense
against the internet.
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00:04:11,485 --> 00:04:14,453
It is awash in violence
and venom
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produced and propagated
by terrorists.
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00:04:18,058 --> 00:04:21,126
You can trace the roots,
at least in part,
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00:04:21,195 --> 00:04:23,095
to a place you'd least expect.
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00:04:28,602 --> 00:04:31,503
Daphne, Alabama--
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00:04:31,572 --> 00:04:35,240
a city of 20,000 that sits
across the bay from Mobile.
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00:04:35,309 --> 00:04:38,644
It's everything you would expect
from the American Bible Belt.
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But it was also home to an
unlikely, infamous resident...
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00:04:47,488 --> 00:04:50,689
Omar Hammami,
an American who took up arms
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00:04:50,758 --> 00:04:54,660
with Islamic terrorists
and took their propaganda war
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into a whole new realm.
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What can his story tell us about
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how social networking
fuels terrorism?
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The clues are there
in his own words--
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00:05:05,306 --> 00:05:09,775
a self-published autobiography.
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HAMMAMI (dramatized):
I was brought up like most
of the privileged children
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00:05:12,546 --> 00:05:13,845
in America.
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00:05:13,914 --> 00:05:17,582
My mother was a typical
Southern Protestant girl,
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which attracted my father's
conservative background.
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An Arab from Syria marries
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00:05:22,623 --> 00:05:24,890
a little Southern belle
from Alabama.
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This is a very
strange combination.
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MITCH SILBER:
He's the product
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00:05:28,962 --> 00:05:30,696
of a mixed marriage--
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00:05:30,764 --> 00:05:33,999
a father who is Muslim and
a mother who is Christian,
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00:05:34,068 --> 00:05:36,735
a father who was an engineer
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00:05:36,804 --> 00:05:40,939
and grew up essentially
in an open, tolerant household.
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HAMMAMI (dramatized):
I was "saved" and baptized in
the Perdido Baptist Church.
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My mother used to take me
and my sister.
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I was the best student
in Bible school.
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I didn't like getting less than
perfect grades from a young age.
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00:05:56,757 --> 00:06:00,892
My father was not a religious
man in those days.
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00:06:00,961 --> 00:06:03,995
He did not pray
or go to the mosque.
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00:06:04,064 --> 00:06:06,898
My mom used to tell us that we
have to keep our religion secret
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00:06:06,967 --> 00:06:08,767
from our father.
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NARRATOR:
That inner conflict he described
in his book was just that.
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00:06:15,342 --> 00:06:19,978
Outwardly, he was smart,
popular, and easygoing.
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00:06:20,047 --> 00:06:22,914
He didn't seem to take himself
too seriously.
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00:06:22,983 --> 00:06:24,416
SHAFIK HAMMAMI:
He was very intelligent.
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00:06:24,485 --> 00:06:28,019
He's always happy.
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He's an all-American boy.
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He liked sports, he liked music.
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HAMMAMI (dramatized):
By seventh grade I was
the class vice president.
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By eighth grade I think I was
the most popular guy in school.
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The main reason
was that I was funny.
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It was the summer of my eighth
grade year when I went to Syria.
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My cousins were very happy
to see me,
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but they didn't know
who I was exactly.
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They must have heard
that my mother was teaching us
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00:07:02,022 --> 00:07:05,690
Christianity so they started to
try to teach me how to pray.
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It was around that time
that I prayed all five prayers
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without missing any of them.
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I felt so good that day
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that I promised to always pray
my prayers on time.
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The trip to Syria really was
his religious awakening.
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NARRATOR:
J.M. Berger is
a former journalist
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and now an author and fellow
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00:07:27,748 --> 00:07:32,184
at the George Washington
University Program on Extremism.
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He had been a popular kid,
confident kid,
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who came back from this trip
with a religion
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that in Alabama was strange
to his classmates.
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I think that that made him
feel isolated
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and it may have encouraged him
to think of himself
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as special as a way to offset
the rejection.
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HAMMAMI (dramatized):
When I came back
from my vacation,
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I had become a very
different person,
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00:07:54,741 --> 00:07:58,076
but I was placed back
into my old environment.
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It was like a struggle
of two worlds.
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00:08:00,614 --> 00:08:04,015
The drugs, the girls,
the friends, the TV,
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00:08:04,084 --> 00:08:07,052
and everything hit me
with a big slap.
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00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,387
Due to the blessings of Allah,
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00:08:09,456 --> 00:08:12,357
I managed to hold on
to my prayers.
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He converted from being
a Baptist
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to being a highly observant
Muslim,
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which you can imagine
in rural Alabama
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was not a typical decision and
also brought a lot of disdain
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00:08:21,502 --> 00:08:23,401
from his high school classmates.
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00:08:23,470 --> 00:08:25,904
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
It was an upward battle,
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00:08:25,973 --> 00:08:28,039
but I had some new friends
from the mosque
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00:08:28,108 --> 00:08:31,009
that used to give me support
on the weekends.
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00:08:31,078 --> 00:08:34,546
I began to feel that I was being
flung into an ocean
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and asked not to get wet.
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NARRATOR:
Finding extremists like Omar
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as they test the waters
of radicalization
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00:08:44,258 --> 00:08:45,957
is a he challenge
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00:08:46,026 --> 00:08:51,229
for law enforcement
and intelligence agencies.
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00:08:51,298 --> 00:08:53,031
In law enforcement circles,
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they call it countering
violent extremism, or CVE.
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This room is designed
to make it easier.
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This is the room 9/11 built--
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00:09:05,812 --> 00:09:09,180
the operations center at the
National Counterterrorism Center
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00:09:09,249 --> 00:09:12,684
just outside Washington, D.C.
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00:09:12,753 --> 00:09:15,820
On a 24/7 basis, we have
officers here working in shifts
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00:09:15,889 --> 00:09:19,291
who are consuming, reading,
analyzing, and assessing
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00:09:19,359 --> 00:09:22,093
every bit of available
information that there is
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00:09:22,162 --> 00:09:23,929
to try to figure out
what terrorist threats
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00:09:23,997 --> 00:09:25,297
are aimed at the United States.
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NARRATOR:
Nick Rasmussen
is the director here.
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This is where they try
to connect the dots.
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The nature of the work has
changed dramatically
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in recent years.
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These folks can get
radicalized by one group
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and the baton can be passed
to another group.
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NARRATOR:
More lone wolves
and encrypted communication.
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REPORTER:
The FBI had this man on
its radar as early as 2013.
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NARRATOR:
Fewer face-to-face meetings
and phone calls--
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the internet as a source of
inspiration and planning.
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Self-radicalization
doesn't have to take
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many months or many years.
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Increasingly, what connecting
the dots means to me
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00:10:03,670 --> 00:10:07,405
is dealing with the huge,
huge volume
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00:10:07,474 --> 00:10:09,374
of publicly available
or open source
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00:10:09,443 --> 00:10:12,677
or unclassified information
that's out there
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that may have terrorism
relevance.
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00:10:14,581 --> 00:10:15,847
And the work we're doing now
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00:10:15,916 --> 00:10:17,582
with our partners in the
intelligence community
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00:10:17,651 --> 00:10:21,419
often doesn't involve really,
really sensitive intelligence.
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00:10:21,488 --> 00:10:23,455
It involves looking at Twitter
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00:10:23,523 --> 00:10:26,658
or looking at some other
social media platform
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00:10:26,727 --> 00:10:28,627
and trying to figure out
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00:10:28,695 --> 00:10:30,695
who that individual behind
that screen name,
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00:10:30,764 --> 00:10:33,198
behind that handle,
might actually be
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00:10:33,266 --> 00:10:36,968
and whether that person poses
a threat to the United States.
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NARRATOR:
The term of art in the world
of espionage is SOCMINT--
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00:10:42,109 --> 00:10:44,509
social media intelligence.
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00:10:44,578 --> 00:10:46,478
Open source spying.
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00:10:46,546 --> 00:10:47,812
JEFF WEYERS:
Anybody can track
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00:10:47,881 --> 00:10:50,715
a war online, can track
a terrorist group online,
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00:10:50,784 --> 00:10:54,586
can develop informants
and contacts online.
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00:10:54,655 --> 00:10:58,523
NARRATOR:
Police officer and terrorism
analyst Jeff Weyers is expert
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00:10:58,592 --> 00:11:02,394
at gleaning intelligence
from social media.
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00:11:02,462 --> 00:11:05,864
His "operations center"
is in his home.
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00:11:05,932 --> 00:11:09,467
WEYERS:
I can do more open-source
intelligence work
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00:11:09,536 --> 00:11:13,905
from my living room than any
analyst could have ever done
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00:11:13,974 --> 00:11:15,206
even 20 years ago.
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00:11:17,878 --> 00:11:21,413
NARRATOR:
The data is hiding
in plain view.
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00:11:21,481 --> 00:11:23,481
All it takes is patience,
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00:11:23,550 --> 00:11:26,685
persistence, and a little bit of
technical know-how to find it.
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00:11:26,753 --> 00:11:29,421
For instance,
it's an open secret
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00:11:29,489 --> 00:11:32,557
that many Islamic State fighters
do not disable
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00:11:32,626 --> 00:11:34,559
the geographic tracking
capability
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00:11:34,628 --> 00:11:36,895
built into their mobile phones.
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00:11:36,963 --> 00:11:42,167
The technology makes it possible
for anyone to track a terrorist.
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00:11:42,235 --> 00:11:45,603
WEYERS:
If he broadcasts from Raqqa and
then I again see him in Turkey
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00:11:45,672 --> 00:11:47,772
and then I again see him moving
into Europe,
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00:11:47,841 --> 00:11:49,708
well, this is a way that
we can potentially interdict
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00:11:49,776 --> 00:11:53,645
with somebody that is maybe
looking to do an attack.
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00:11:53,714 --> 00:11:57,148
NARRATOR:
That, combined with some
selfies, might provide
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00:11:57,217 --> 00:12:01,252
plenty of intelligence
needed for targeting.
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00:12:01,321 --> 00:12:02,787
If you're looking for a drone
attack and you're seeing
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00:12:02,856 --> 00:12:05,824
where they're going for morning
coffee, Twitter could tell you.
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00:12:05,892 --> 00:12:07,592
NARRATOR:
When it comes to terror,
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00:12:07,661 --> 00:12:09,928
the problem isn't
a lack of data,
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00:12:09,996 --> 00:12:14,199
it's separating the wheat
from the chaff.
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00:12:14,267 --> 00:12:16,901
WEYERS:
If you look at
the Orlando shooting
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00:12:16,970 --> 00:12:20,171
or the recent cases in Germany
and France,
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00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,540
just because the government
has all this data
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00:12:22,609 --> 00:12:24,642
doesn't mean they have
the capacity
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00:12:24,711 --> 00:12:27,545
to analyze all that data,
and so how do you then go
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00:12:27,614 --> 00:12:29,714
and make a determination
as to whether that person
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00:12:29,783 --> 00:12:31,783
poses a threat to the public?
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00:12:33,754 --> 00:12:35,620
NARRATOR:
With so many electronic
breadcrumbs
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00:12:35,689 --> 00:12:38,456
scattered out in the open,
couldn't it be possible
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00:12:38,525 --> 00:12:42,127
for a computer scientist to
harness the right combination
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00:12:42,195 --> 00:12:45,463
of software and hardware
to see where they lead?
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00:12:45,532 --> 00:12:47,732
All right, Howard Marks,
where are you?
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00:12:47,801 --> 00:12:49,801
NARRATOR:
And make pre-crime arrests...
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00:12:49,870 --> 00:12:51,536
(screaming)
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00:12:51,605 --> 00:12:55,006
...as depicted in the
2002 movie Minority Report.
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00:12:55,075 --> 00:12:57,642
I'm placing you under arrest for
the future murder of Sarah Marks
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00:12:57,711 --> 00:13:00,345
and Donald Dubin that was
to take place today, April 22,
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00:13:00,413 --> 00:13:02,247
at 0800 hours...
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00:13:02,315 --> 00:13:04,983
NARRATOR:
Science fiction now,
but maybe not forever.
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00:13:06,353 --> 00:13:08,486
At the University of Maryland,
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00:13:08,555 --> 00:13:12,123
computer scientist
V.S. Subrahmanian is applying
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00:13:12,192 --> 00:13:15,326
a big data approach
to fighting terrorism.
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00:13:15,395 --> 00:13:18,263
He is trying to put
more objective analysis
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00:13:18,331 --> 00:13:21,833
into decisions about which
terrorists to target.
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00:13:21,902 --> 00:13:23,968
SUBRAHMANIAN:
I'm a scientist,
243
00:13:24,037 --> 00:13:26,371
and when somebody says,
"We degraded al Qaeda
244
00:13:26,439 --> 00:13:28,506
by taking person X out,"
245
00:13:28,575 --> 00:13:31,142
you know, if I can't measure it,
I don't believe it.
246
00:13:31,211 --> 00:13:33,645
♪
♪
247
00:13:33,713 --> 00:13:37,182
NARRATOR:
He and his team focused on the
Islamic terror organization
248
00:13:37,250 --> 00:13:39,717
Lashkar-e-Taiba,
249
00:13:39,786 --> 00:13:43,955
the group responsible for
the 2008 attacks on Mumbai,
250
00:13:44,024 --> 00:13:46,457
about a dozen coordinated
shootings and bombings
251
00:13:46,526 --> 00:13:51,930
lasting four days that killed
more than 160 people.
252
00:13:54,768 --> 00:13:57,702
So what you see here is the
terrorist network corresponding
253
00:13:57,771 --> 00:13:59,971
to the terrorist group
Lashkar-e-Taiba,
254
00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,742
and each node that you see here
corresponds to an individual.
255
00:14:07,147 --> 00:14:13,017
NARRATOR:
They compiled 21 years of data
on the group and its actions.
256
00:14:13,086 --> 00:14:15,987
All of it is analyzed
by some sophisticated software
257
00:14:16,056 --> 00:14:17,388
that he calls STONE,
258
00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:21,926
for Shaping Terrorist
Organization Network Efficacy.
259
00:14:21,995 --> 00:14:25,330
It's a schematic
of a terrorist network
260
00:14:25,398 --> 00:14:30,635
identifying individuals,
subgroups, and affiliations.
261
00:14:30,704 --> 00:14:34,439
The software assigns a number
to measure the lethality
262
00:14:34,507 --> 00:14:36,875
of the terror organization.
263
00:14:36,943 --> 00:14:41,112
The higher the number,
the more dangerous the group is.
264
00:14:41,181 --> 00:14:44,649
So what would happen if you
targeted the leadership?
265
00:14:44,718 --> 00:14:48,319
Let's take a look at the leader
of the group here, number one.
266
00:14:48,388 --> 00:14:49,621
If you right-click on him,
267
00:14:49,689 --> 00:14:51,089
we will see some information
about him.
268
00:14:51,157 --> 00:14:54,292
NARRATOR:
He is Hafiz Muhammad Saeed,
269
00:14:54,361 --> 00:14:58,129
a man with a $10 million bounty
on his head.
270
00:14:58,198 --> 00:15:00,231
Let's pretend we are in the role
of an analyst
271
00:15:00,300 --> 00:15:02,867
and we're considering the
consequences of targeting him
272
00:15:02,936 --> 00:15:04,802
and removing him
from the network.
273
00:15:04,871 --> 00:15:06,170
NARRATOR:
Here's what's surprising:
274
00:15:06,239 --> 00:15:09,374
the software predicts
if you take out the boss,
275
00:15:09,442 --> 00:15:12,410
the lethality of the group
actually goes up.
276
00:15:12,479 --> 00:15:15,747
SUBRAHMANIAN:
You may be faced with a
situation where the new leader
277
00:15:15,815 --> 00:15:19,684
is either much more aggressive
about carrying out operations
278
00:15:19,753 --> 00:15:23,187
or much better liked
or much more competent
279
00:15:23,256 --> 00:15:24,656
in carrying out his operation.
280
00:15:26,660 --> 00:15:29,294
NARRATOR:
The software makes it possible
to run scenarios
281
00:15:29,362 --> 00:15:32,563
to figure out who to target.
282
00:15:32,632 --> 00:15:35,633
So what would happen if Saeed's
three top deputies
283
00:15:35,702 --> 00:15:37,435
were all taken out?
284
00:15:37,504 --> 00:15:39,570
The number goes way down.
285
00:15:39,639 --> 00:15:42,540
Lashkar-e-Taiba becomes
much less of a threat.
286
00:15:42,609 --> 00:15:44,208
SUBRAHMANIAN:
You can have a much more
efficient
287
00:15:44,277 --> 00:15:45,576
counterterrorism operation
288
00:15:45,645 --> 00:15:48,046
that significantly weakens
a group
289
00:15:48,114 --> 00:15:49,647
by targeting
just the right people.
290
00:15:49,716 --> 00:15:54,018
NARRATOR:
So can the same software
predict an attack?
291
00:15:54,087 --> 00:15:55,887
Sort of.
292
00:15:55,956 --> 00:15:58,323
SUBRAHMANIAN:
We could have predicted
the Mumbai attacks.
293
00:15:58,391 --> 00:16:00,591
However, we could not
have predicted
294
00:16:00,660 --> 00:16:02,393
exactly where they would have
occurred.
295
00:16:02,462 --> 00:16:04,629
So we can say things like,
296
00:16:04,698 --> 00:16:08,533
"We expect these kinds of
targets to be hit
297
00:16:08,601 --> 00:16:12,770
in the next one, two,
three, four months."
298
00:16:12,839 --> 00:16:15,506
But we cannot say, "This
specific target will be hit
299
00:16:15,575 --> 00:16:17,041
in the next one, two,
three, four months."
300
00:16:19,245 --> 00:16:22,146
If I could reach
in the terrorism world
301
00:16:22,215 --> 00:16:25,183
the level of sophistication
in predicting hurricanes today,
302
00:16:25,251 --> 00:16:26,751
I would be very happy.
303
00:16:26,820 --> 00:16:28,086
So we're not there yet.
304
00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:38,463
NARRATOR:
In 2001, Omar Hammami had
enrolled in college in Mobile
305
00:16:38,531 --> 00:16:41,566
and a storm was gathering
inside him.
306
00:16:41,634 --> 00:16:42,834
(thunder rumbles)
307
00:16:42,902 --> 00:16:45,236
Isolated and out of place
on campus,
308
00:16:45,305 --> 00:16:48,740
the radicalism seeded
in Syria grew.
309
00:16:48,808 --> 00:16:51,409
He was ripe for
an external event
310
00:16:51,478 --> 00:16:56,080
to trigger something
more sinister.
311
00:16:56,149 --> 00:17:00,752
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
I was in university when
September 11 happened.
312
00:17:00,820 --> 00:17:03,955
I came to class one day and this
non-practicing Muslim
313
00:17:04,024 --> 00:17:05,323
told me to check CNN,
314
00:17:05,392 --> 00:17:07,625
where I saw a plane going
into the towers.
315
00:17:10,096 --> 00:17:12,797
I was mixed between
the hatred of terrorism
316
00:17:12,866 --> 00:17:15,733
and my real hatred for America,
the disbelievers,
317
00:17:15,802 --> 00:17:18,669
and their oppression
of the Muslims.
318
00:17:18,738 --> 00:17:23,241
But 9/11 didn't "radicalize" me,
as they say.
319
00:17:23,309 --> 00:17:27,712
I took things a bit more
intellectually than that.
320
00:17:27,781 --> 00:17:32,784
NARRATOR:
But that changed when U.S.
troops marched into Baghdad.
321
00:17:32,852 --> 00:17:35,653
(explosions)
322
00:17:37,891 --> 00:17:40,224
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
By the time the Iraq war
started,
323
00:17:40,293 --> 00:17:44,128
I could not find any way for us
to say that it is anything less
324
00:17:44,197 --> 00:17:46,764
than obligatory to fight
the Americans there.
325
00:17:51,104 --> 00:17:54,472
One day I just couldn't take the
futility of it all any longer.
326
00:17:54,541 --> 00:17:57,041
I went to the dean's office
and I withdrew my name
327
00:17:57,110 --> 00:17:58,509
from the university.
328
00:18:01,214 --> 00:18:04,916
Eventually I became so averse to
America that I wanted to leave.
329
00:18:07,220 --> 00:18:09,954
SILBER:
Subsequently, he left university
and went up to Toronto,
330
00:18:10,023 --> 00:18:13,157
where he started to explore
literature and theology,
331
00:18:13,226 --> 00:18:17,428
and started to adopt
a Salafi ideology.
332
00:18:17,497 --> 00:18:19,330
BERGER:
Salafists believe that there's
333
00:18:19,399 --> 00:18:22,266
a mythical, pure form of Islam
that they can restore.
334
00:18:22,335 --> 00:18:23,401
It's very puritanical.
335
00:18:25,138 --> 00:18:26,337
And Salafi jihadists--
336
00:18:26,406 --> 00:18:28,239
al Qaeda and ISIS and
movements like that--
337
00:18:28,308 --> 00:18:31,209
believe that not only does this
mythical, pure form of Islam
338
00:18:31,277 --> 00:18:33,478
exist but that they need to
achieve it through violence.
339
00:18:33,546 --> 00:18:36,614
They need to fight to institute
that form of Islam.
340
00:18:36,683 --> 00:18:39,450
(gunfire)
341
00:18:41,921 --> 00:18:45,690
NARRATOR:
When Omar arrived in Toronto
in the fall of 2004,
342
00:18:45,758 --> 00:18:50,828
he entered the radical phase
of his metamorphosis.
343
00:18:52,599 --> 00:18:56,834
He was trying extremism on
for size and it seemed to fit.
344
00:18:59,305 --> 00:19:02,540
Omar married a newly arrived
Somali immigrant--
345
00:19:02,609 --> 00:19:05,910
19-year-old
Sadiyo Mohamed Abdille.
346
00:19:05,979 --> 00:19:09,280
In short order,
they were expecting a baby.
347
00:19:09,349 --> 00:19:13,718
But Omar was in no mood
to settle down.
348
00:19:13,786 --> 00:19:15,853
SILBER:
He wanted to travel overseas,
349
00:19:15,922 --> 00:19:18,890
to a land that was
sufficiently Islamic.
350
00:19:18,958 --> 00:19:22,360
NARRATOR:
Less than a year
after arriving in Toronto,
351
00:19:22,428 --> 00:19:25,730
he decided he wanted to move
to Egypt.
352
00:19:25,798 --> 00:19:29,433
Sadiyo reluctantly agreed.
353
00:19:32,438 --> 00:19:37,275
They arrived in Alexandria
in June of 2005.
354
00:19:37,343 --> 00:19:41,779
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
When I got there, I realized
it was a terrible place.
355
00:19:41,848 --> 00:19:45,049
I looked at the face of my wife
and she was devastated.
356
00:19:45,118 --> 00:19:47,418
But I still didn't care.
357
00:19:47,487 --> 00:19:50,788
NARRATOR:
Not long after they arrived,
358
00:19:50,857 --> 00:19:56,027
Omar's wife Sadiyo gave birth
to a baby girl, Taymiyyah.
359
00:19:56,095 --> 00:19:59,197
Omar had planned to study
at a local university,
360
00:19:59,265 --> 00:20:01,465
but it didn't pan out.
361
00:20:01,534 --> 00:20:07,205
He spent his days at internet
cafés reading and posting
362
00:20:07,273 --> 00:20:09,340
on jihadi forums.
363
00:20:09,409 --> 00:20:12,009
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
I was surfing the net one day
and I found someone
364
00:20:12,078 --> 00:20:13,344
who sounded like an American.
365
00:20:16,316 --> 00:20:18,683
About an hour later,
I met one of my best friends
366
00:20:18,751 --> 00:20:22,320
and closest brothers:
Abu Muhammad al-Amriki,
367
00:20:22,388 --> 00:20:26,657
Daniel Maldonado.
368
00:20:26,726 --> 00:20:30,394
NARRATOR:
Daniel Maldonado,
an American from New Hampshire,
369
00:20:30,463 --> 00:20:33,831
was a high school dropout
who converted to Salafi Islam
370
00:20:33,900 --> 00:20:36,100
in 2000.
371
00:20:36,169 --> 00:20:39,370
The two men became fast friends.
372
00:20:39,439 --> 00:20:41,439
BERGER:
They're in the same city
but they met online.
373
00:20:41,507 --> 00:20:43,274
I think it's important
to understand
374
00:20:43,343 --> 00:20:46,043
the power of these networks
in making connections
375
00:20:46,112 --> 00:20:49,747
really helps extremist groups.
376
00:20:49,816 --> 00:20:52,016
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
Abu Muhammad managed
to give me guidance
377
00:20:52,085 --> 00:20:55,453
about which books are necessary
to read about jihad.
378
00:20:55,521 --> 00:20:59,257
Any remaining doubts
had been removed.
379
00:20:59,325 --> 00:21:02,360
I had become a jihadi.
380
00:21:03,930 --> 00:21:06,197
NARRATOR:
Omar had learned
an important lesson
381
00:21:06,266 --> 00:21:07,798
in the value of the internet
382
00:21:07,867 --> 00:21:10,701
to promote and facilitate
extremism.
383
00:21:10,770 --> 00:21:14,672
It is a lesson that
he clearly took to heart.
384
00:21:14,741 --> 00:21:18,876
He and Maldonado decided
to go to Somalia to fight
385
00:21:18,945 --> 00:21:22,713
with the Islamic terror group
known as al Shabaab.
386
00:21:22,782 --> 00:21:26,917
They departed for the
battlefield in 2006.
387
00:21:26,986 --> 00:21:31,155
Omar left his wife
and daughter behind.
388
00:21:34,027 --> 00:21:38,496
Does this fit into the profile
of a typical terrorist?
389
00:21:38,564 --> 00:21:40,531
Is there such a thing?
390
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:41,766
It does not work that way,
391
00:21:41,834 --> 00:21:44,001
there is no one profile
of the terrorist.
392
00:21:44,070 --> 00:21:46,504
NARRATOR:
But psychologist Arie Kruglanski
believes
393
00:21:46,572 --> 00:21:49,607
they share an important trait.
394
00:21:49,676 --> 00:21:51,642
They are looking for certainty,
395
00:21:51,711 --> 00:21:54,779
for clear-cut answers
in a chaotic world.
396
00:21:54,847 --> 00:21:58,849
The psychological term is
cognitive closure.
397
00:21:58,918 --> 00:22:00,318
KRUGLANSKI:
The need for cognitive closure
398
00:22:00,386 --> 00:22:02,053
is the need for certainty
399
00:22:02,121 --> 00:22:04,689
and the need to be confident
about a topic,
400
00:22:04,757 --> 00:22:06,424
the need to know for sure.
401
00:22:06,492 --> 00:22:10,828
NARRATOR:
Kruglanski and his team have
authored reams of research
402
00:22:10,897 --> 00:22:12,997
on the Sri Lankan
terror group known
403
00:22:13,066 --> 00:22:16,801
as the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam-- the Tamil Tigers.
404
00:22:16,869 --> 00:22:20,071
The group invented
the suicide belt
405
00:22:20,139 --> 00:22:23,307
and pioneered the use
of women in those attacks.
406
00:22:23,376 --> 00:22:26,444
Kruglanski's team has
interviewed thousands
407
00:22:26,512 --> 00:22:28,412
of these former terrorists,
408
00:22:28,481 --> 00:22:30,614
conducting one of the few
longitudinal studies
409
00:22:30,683 --> 00:22:32,717
of the terrorist mindset.
410
00:22:32,785 --> 00:22:38,055
He discovered a clear link
between feelings of self-worth
411
00:22:38,124 --> 00:22:40,591
and the desire to join a group.
412
00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:43,494
KRUGLANSKI:
You feel that you're humiliated,
you're insignificant,
413
00:22:43,563 --> 00:22:45,363
you do not matter.
414
00:22:45,431 --> 00:22:47,798
And that predisposes people
to listen to ideologies
415
00:22:47,867 --> 00:22:50,101
that tell you, "I'll tell you
how you're going to matter.
416
00:22:50,169 --> 00:22:51,702
You're going to matter"--
417
00:22:51,771 --> 00:22:54,305
and this is in the case
of ISIS and radicalization--
418
00:22:54,374 --> 00:22:56,107
"You're going to matter
by joining the fight."
419
00:22:56,175 --> 00:22:59,210
NARRATOR:
In other words,
when people are struggling,
420
00:22:59,278 --> 00:23:03,381
they are more vulnerable
to group think.
421
00:23:03,449 --> 00:23:05,649
You guys can go ahead
and come on in.
422
00:23:05,718 --> 00:23:08,886
NARRATOR:
Kruglanski has tested this
theory with a simple experiment,
423
00:23:08,955 --> 00:23:11,355
which he replicated for us.
424
00:23:11,424 --> 00:23:15,760
Our subjects: four University
of Maryland undergraduates.
425
00:23:15,828 --> 00:23:17,395
The purpose of this
experiment is to...
426
00:23:17,463 --> 00:23:20,398
NARRATOR:
They all played a simple
videogame called the Duck Hunt.
427
00:23:20,466 --> 00:23:22,299
Okay, Ben, do you want
to come on?
428
00:23:24,036 --> 00:23:27,905
NARRATOR:
The game was set to be
impossibly hard for two of them
429
00:23:27,974 --> 00:23:31,075
and incredibly easy
for the other two.
430
00:23:31,144 --> 00:23:34,979
They were told a score of 100
or more
431
00:23:35,047 --> 00:23:37,047
predicts all kinds
of success in life.
432
00:23:37,116 --> 00:23:39,483
Scores lower than a hundred
strongly predict failure.
433
00:23:39,552 --> 00:23:41,385
So you're going to be
playing that game today.
434
00:23:41,454 --> 00:23:43,587
NARRATOR:
Ben Weinberg had it easy.
435
00:23:45,625 --> 00:23:49,126
He was knocking ducks
out of the sky right and left
436
00:23:49,195 --> 00:23:52,963
and waltzed to the hundred-point
threshold.
437
00:23:55,001 --> 00:23:58,002
Afterward, he took a brief
survey and had a quick debrief
438
00:23:58,070 --> 00:24:00,371
with graduate student
Marina Chernikova.
439
00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,840
WEINBERG:
It felt good when I got it
on the first try.
440
00:24:02,909 --> 00:24:05,609
It was a little more frustrating
when I took a few clicks
441
00:24:05,678 --> 00:24:06,744
to get the duck.
442
00:24:08,481 --> 00:24:11,382
NARRATOR:
But when it was Mara Lins' turn
in the hot seat,
443
00:24:11,451 --> 00:24:12,850
there were no sitting ducks.
444
00:24:12,919 --> 00:24:14,485
Not even close.
445
00:24:14,554 --> 00:24:18,456
(metal music playing)
446
00:24:21,494 --> 00:24:23,160
It was really hard.
447
00:24:23,229 --> 00:24:27,598
I felt really frustrated because
the duck was just going so fast
448
00:24:27,667 --> 00:24:29,733
I couldn't ever really click
on it that well
449
00:24:29,802 --> 00:24:33,103
and the score just kept going
more down.
450
00:24:33,172 --> 00:24:34,805
It made me really uncomfortable,
actually.
451
00:24:34,874 --> 00:24:36,307
CHERNIKOVA:
Okay.
452
00:24:36,375 --> 00:24:39,043
NARRATOR:
The survey included
two dozen questions
453
00:24:39,111 --> 00:24:43,547
designed to assess people's need
for support from a group.
454
00:24:43,616 --> 00:24:45,249
KRUGLANSKI:
So this person seems to be
scoring
455
00:24:45,318 --> 00:24:47,218
very high on interdependence--
456
00:24:47,286 --> 00:24:49,787
do you know what
condition was he in?
457
00:24:49,856 --> 00:24:52,189
Yes, this one was in
the failure condition.
458
00:24:52,258 --> 00:24:54,124
KRUGLANSKI:
What we find time and time again
459
00:24:54,193 --> 00:24:55,459
is that if you're successful,
460
00:24:55,528 --> 00:24:57,895
you feel relatively independent
of your group.
461
00:24:57,964 --> 00:24:59,163
You can hack it on your own.
462
00:24:59,232 --> 00:25:01,665
But when you feel humiliated
and weakened,
463
00:25:01,734 --> 00:25:05,236
that's the circumstances
that lead you to undertake
464
00:25:05,304 --> 00:25:08,205
sacrifices on behalf of the
group in order to feel rewarded
465
00:25:08,274 --> 00:25:12,142
by the group by a sense
of heroism and significance.
466
00:25:14,046 --> 00:25:16,313
NARRATOR:
So what about lone-wolf
terrorists,
467
00:25:16,382 --> 00:25:19,884
those who are self-radicalized
online?
468
00:25:19,952 --> 00:25:22,820
KRUGLANSKI:
Yes, the group is there
virtually.
469
00:25:22,889 --> 00:25:26,657
The group does not need to be
physically present and salient
470
00:25:26,726 --> 00:25:28,592
and they can imagine that
the group will approve
471
00:25:28,661 --> 00:25:31,362
of their deeds and
they can pick up a knife,
472
00:25:31,430 --> 00:25:36,800
a machete, or a vehicle
and go out and kill people.
473
00:25:42,074 --> 00:25:46,176
NARRATOR:
In 2006, Omar Hammami arrived
in Mogadishu, Somalia,
474
00:25:46,245 --> 00:25:50,781
where he joined a very deadly
group of terrorists:
475
00:25:50,850 --> 00:25:54,385
the al Qaeda affiliate
al Shabaab--
476
00:25:54,453 --> 00:25:56,854
Islamic terrorists waging
an insurgency
477
00:25:56,923 --> 00:25:59,156
against government forces.
478
00:26:00,426 --> 00:26:02,026
Al Shabaab was well known
479
00:26:02,094 --> 00:26:04,395
for aggressively recruiting
Americans.
480
00:26:04,463 --> 00:26:08,432
Omar Hammami was quickly
welcomed into their ranks.
481
00:26:12,838 --> 00:26:14,572
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
That night leaving
for al Shabaab
482
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,710
was the night I was given
my AKM, which I still have.
483
00:26:19,779 --> 00:26:22,947
I felt like I had just been
given an atomic bomb
484
00:26:23,015 --> 00:26:24,882
that might blow at any second.
485
00:26:29,555 --> 00:26:33,591
NARRATOR:
The leadership of the terrorist
organization quickly tapped in
486
00:26:33,659 --> 00:26:37,461
to Omar's unique mix of
charisma, computer skills,
487
00:26:37,530 --> 00:26:41,332
and fluency in English
and Arabic.
488
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,803
He made his debut as a terrorist
in October 2007
489
00:26:45,871 --> 00:26:48,472
in an Al Jazeera news report.
490
00:26:48,541 --> 00:26:53,744
His new nom de guerre:
Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki.
491
00:26:53,813 --> 00:26:56,013
All Muslims of America,
492
00:26:56,082 --> 00:26:59,483
take into deep consideration
the example of Somalia.
493
00:26:59,552 --> 00:27:02,686
After 15 years of chaos
and oppressive rule
494
00:27:02,755 --> 00:27:05,122
by the American-backed warlords,
495
00:27:05,191 --> 00:27:07,591
your brothers stood up
in order to establish peace
496
00:27:07,660 --> 00:27:09,126
and justice in this land.
497
00:27:09,195 --> 00:27:11,161
When I first saw the interview,
498
00:27:11,230 --> 00:27:16,800
I knew that was the end of...
life as we know it.
499
00:27:16,869 --> 00:27:18,902
We will never be the same again.
500
00:27:18,971 --> 00:27:24,174
It's devastating for both of us;
he's our only son.
501
00:27:24,243 --> 00:27:25,609
We only have one son.
502
00:27:25,678 --> 00:27:26,810
Now we have none.
503
00:27:30,783 --> 00:27:33,150
(singing in Arabic)
504
00:27:35,488 --> 00:27:39,156
NARRATOR:
In 2009 al Shabaab released
a widely distributed
505
00:27:39,225 --> 00:27:44,595
propaganda video in English
featuring an ambush in Somalia.
506
00:27:44,664 --> 00:27:49,333
Starring Omar, it was tailored
to recruit Americans.
507
00:27:49,402 --> 00:27:51,902
We're waiting for the enemy
to come.
508
00:27:51,971 --> 00:27:56,607
We heard that the numbers are
close to a thousand or more.
509
00:27:56,676 --> 00:28:00,244
So, what we're planning to do
is put them in an ambush,
510
00:28:00,312 --> 00:28:02,813
try to blow up as many of their
vehicles as we can,
511
00:28:02,882 --> 00:28:04,581
and kill as many of them
as we can,
512
00:28:04,650 --> 00:28:06,950
and take everything they've got,
inshallah.
513
00:28:07,019 --> 00:28:11,588
(rapid gunfire)
514
00:28:16,562 --> 00:28:17,861
BERGER:
When the Ambush at Bardale video
515
00:28:17,930 --> 00:28:21,131
came out, he became a bit
of a media sensation.
516
00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,635
HAMMAMI:
♪ Bomb by bomb,
blast by blast ♪
517
00:28:24,704 --> 00:28:27,337
NARRATOR:
It featured a rap written
and performed by Omar.
518
00:28:27,406 --> 00:28:30,340
HAMMAMI:
♪ Word by word,
Bush said it true ♪
519
00:28:30,409 --> 00:28:32,910
♪ You with him or
you're with the Muslim group. ♪
520
00:28:32,978 --> 00:28:35,145
BERGER:
Al Shabaab was very impressed
521
00:28:35,214 --> 00:28:37,147
with the traction
these rap videos got.
522
00:28:37,216 --> 00:28:41,018
The only reason we're staying
here, away from our families,
523
00:28:41,087 --> 00:28:44,288
away from the cities, away from,
you know, ice, candy bars,
524
00:28:44,356 --> 00:28:45,489
all these other things,
525
00:28:45,558 --> 00:28:47,758
is because we're waiting to meet
with the enemy.
526
00:28:47,827 --> 00:28:50,828
BERGER:
At the time, I thought of him
as kind of a novelty act
527
00:28:50,896 --> 00:28:54,631
with the rap video and his
sometimes awkward attempts
528
00:28:54,700 --> 00:28:57,401
to sort of morph into more of
a kind of a scholarly role.
529
00:28:57,470 --> 00:29:01,405
One of the things that we seek
for in this life of ours
530
00:29:01,474 --> 00:29:03,107
is to die as a martyr.
531
00:29:03,175 --> 00:29:06,143
So the fact that we got two, uh,
martyrs is nothing more
532
00:29:06,212 --> 00:29:07,745
than a victory in and of itself.
533
00:29:07,813 --> 00:29:10,147
So if you can encourage
more of your children
534
00:29:10,216 --> 00:29:12,216
and more of your neighbors
and anyone around you
535
00:29:12,284 --> 00:29:14,017
to send people like him
to this jihad,
536
00:29:14,086 --> 00:29:15,986
it would be a great asset
for us.
537
00:29:16,055 --> 00:29:17,554
BERGEN:
Omar Hammami was somebody
538
00:29:17,623 --> 00:29:20,758
that Shabaab put front and
center to try and recruit people
539
00:29:20,826 --> 00:29:22,126
into the group
because he spoke English.
540
00:29:22,194 --> 00:29:25,496
HAMMAMI:
♪ Night by night, day by day ♪
541
00:29:25,564 --> 00:29:28,766
♪ Mujahidin spreading
all over the place ♪
542
00:29:28,834 --> 00:29:31,969
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
The real fear that the Americans
feel when they see an American
543
00:29:32,037 --> 00:29:36,006
in Somalia talking about jihad,
is not how skillful he is
544
00:29:36,075 --> 00:29:39,476
at sneaking back across the
borders with nuclear weapons.
545
00:29:39,545 --> 00:29:43,547
The Americans fear that their
cultural barrier has been broken
546
00:29:43,616 --> 00:29:46,416
and now jihad has become
a normal career choice
547
00:29:46,485 --> 00:29:48,886
for any youthful
American Muslim.
548
00:29:48,954 --> 00:29:50,320
BERGEN:
Shabaab lured
549
00:29:50,389 --> 00:29:52,823
up to about 40 Americans
to come and fight with them.
550
00:29:52,892 --> 00:29:55,559
And they had a whole foreign
fighter kind of crew
551
00:29:55,628 --> 00:29:57,294
from people around
the Muslim world.
552
00:29:57,363 --> 00:30:02,199
It was kind of an early
precursor of what ISIS did.
553
00:30:02,268 --> 00:30:04,268
NARRATOR:
The recruitment
and propaganda push
554
00:30:04,336 --> 00:30:06,770
by terrorist organizations
online
555
00:30:06,839 --> 00:30:08,138
has put a lot of pressure
556
00:30:08,207 --> 00:30:11,809
on the big social networking
companies.
557
00:30:11,877 --> 00:30:13,310
But how should they crack down?
558
00:30:13,379 --> 00:30:16,613
It wasn't long ago
that these companies took
559
00:30:16,682 --> 00:30:21,018
a laissez-faire approach
to terrorist content.
560
00:30:21,086 --> 00:30:24,621
They claimed they didn't want
to hinder freedom of speech.
561
00:30:24,690 --> 00:30:27,958
But that started to change
in 2013.
562
00:30:28,027 --> 00:30:33,664
During a terrifying assault at a
shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya,
563
00:30:33,732 --> 00:30:35,132
attackers with al Shabaab
564
00:30:35,201 --> 00:30:40,637
live-tweeted for hours as they
shot more than 175 people,
565
00:30:40,706 --> 00:30:43,674
killing 67.
566
00:30:43,742 --> 00:30:45,576
WEYERS:
That was the first time
567
00:30:45,644 --> 00:30:48,512
where Twitter
was actively removing
568
00:30:48,581 --> 00:30:49,680
the content
that they were posting.
569
00:30:49,748 --> 00:30:51,315
And the reason for that is,
570
00:30:51,383 --> 00:30:53,717
they were actively tweeting
their attack online,
571
00:30:53,786 --> 00:30:56,386
and it was the first time
we really saw that.
572
00:30:56,455 --> 00:30:58,589
ISIS completely blew that
out of the water.
573
00:30:58,657 --> 00:31:04,962
They took that concept and
magnified it by a million.
574
00:31:05,030 --> 00:31:07,731
NARRATOR:
Today, Twitter claims
it aggressively takes down
575
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,466
accounts linked to terror,
576
00:31:09,535 --> 00:31:13,971
360,000 of them
since the middle of 2015.
577
00:31:14,039 --> 00:31:20,310
But repeat offenders simply open
new accounts time and again.
578
00:31:20,379 --> 00:31:25,482
WEYERS:
And now they start to talk
about reverting back to Facebook
579
00:31:25,551 --> 00:31:26,550
so they're talking
580
00:31:26,619 --> 00:31:28,185
about reopening
their Facebook account,
581
00:31:28,254 --> 00:31:31,121
and here's a link to go to it.
582
00:31:34,059 --> 00:31:37,094
NARRATOR:
Facebook is the largest
social networking platform
583
00:31:37,162 --> 00:31:39,529
on the planet.
584
00:31:39,598 --> 00:31:43,967
It says it has a zero-tolerance
policy for extremists,
585
00:31:44,036 --> 00:31:48,438
but it must contend
with a tsunami of content.
586
00:31:48,507 --> 00:31:50,874
Facebook has more
than one billion users
587
00:31:50,943 --> 00:31:54,344
actively posting every day.
588
00:31:54,413 --> 00:31:58,749
The company says about one-half
of one percent of flagged items
589
00:31:58,817 --> 00:32:01,051
are linked to terrorism,
590
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:05,255
but that's still
a lot of material.
591
00:32:05,324 --> 00:32:07,758
Monika Bickert
is Facebook's head
592
00:32:07,826 --> 00:32:12,029
of global policy management.
593
00:32:12,097 --> 00:32:13,864
We use photo-matching technology
594
00:32:13,933 --> 00:32:17,768
to identify when somebody's
trying to upload to Facebook
595
00:32:17,836 --> 00:32:19,736
an image
that we've already removed
596
00:32:19,805 --> 00:32:21,838
for violating our policies.
597
00:32:21,907 --> 00:32:25,575
Of course, the image may
or may not violate our policies
598
00:32:25,644 --> 00:32:27,044
when it's uploaded again
599
00:32:27,112 --> 00:32:29,913
because it could be somebody
who's sharing a terrorist image
600
00:32:29,982 --> 00:32:32,883
as part of a news story
or to condemn violence.
601
00:32:32,952 --> 00:32:35,953
So we use automation
to flag content
602
00:32:36,021 --> 00:32:38,188
that we will then
have our teams review.
603
00:32:38,257 --> 00:32:41,625
NARRATOR:
But are there
more advanced ways
604
00:32:41,694 --> 00:32:44,928
to stop the extremists' messages
from spreading?
605
00:32:44,997 --> 00:32:47,664
Is there a better
technological solution?
606
00:32:47,733 --> 00:32:50,200
HANY FARID:
We have the technology
607
00:32:50,269 --> 00:32:53,437
to disrupt, not eliminate,
608
00:32:53,505 --> 00:32:57,040
but to disrupt
the global transmission
609
00:32:57,109 --> 00:32:58,675
of extremism-related content.
610
00:32:58,744 --> 00:33:03,280
NARRATOR:
Hany Farid is a computer
scientist at Dartmouth College.
611
00:33:03,349 --> 00:33:06,483
His challenge is significant:
612
00:33:06,552 --> 00:33:09,186
how to identify and stop
the spread of images
613
00:33:09,254 --> 00:33:13,323
made by, of, and for terrorists
on the internet.
614
00:33:13,392 --> 00:33:17,594
The sheer volume of the problem
is daunting.
615
00:33:17,663 --> 00:33:20,731
FARID:
So a video is just a bunch
of images stacked together.
616
00:33:20,799 --> 00:33:22,265
A short video, a few minutes,
617
00:33:22,334 --> 00:33:24,735
you're talking about thousands
of images you have to analyze,
618
00:33:24,803 --> 00:33:27,671
and you have to do this fast and
you have to do it accurately.
619
00:33:27,740 --> 00:33:30,240
And it is a spectacularly
difficult problem
620
00:33:30,309 --> 00:33:32,843
because really, somebody turned
on the firehose of data
621
00:33:32,911 --> 00:33:34,444
and you are just trying
to keep up
622
00:33:34,513 --> 00:33:37,314
with this massive number
of pixels coming in.
623
00:33:37,383 --> 00:33:39,282
NARRATOR:
Billions of uploads a day,
624
00:33:39,351 --> 00:33:43,120
each of them with millions
of pixels.
625
00:33:43,188 --> 00:33:45,422
Can a computer program possibly
be capable
626
00:33:45,491 --> 00:33:47,791
of sorting through it all
627
00:33:47,860 --> 00:33:52,129
and find the images
that inspire new recruits...
628
00:33:52,197 --> 00:33:54,064
(singing)
629
00:33:54,133 --> 00:33:55,565
NARRATOR:
...incite new violence...
630
00:33:55,634 --> 00:33:57,934
MAN:
Allahu akbar!
631
00:33:58,003 --> 00:33:59,469
NARRATOR:
...and horrify us all?
632
00:34:01,740 --> 00:34:05,876
So here is the actual raw frame
that you're seeing,
633
00:34:05,944 --> 00:34:07,911
processing one frame at a time.
634
00:34:07,980 --> 00:34:09,212
And in a frame,
we actually analyze
635
00:34:09,281 --> 00:34:10,480
multiple blocks within it.
636
00:34:10,549 --> 00:34:13,784
The yellow crosshairs
that you're seeing
637
00:34:13,852 --> 00:34:17,020
are enumerating
the various blocks of the video
638
00:34:17,089 --> 00:34:18,955
that we're analyzing.
639
00:34:19,024 --> 00:34:22,092
This yellow histogram is
a distribution of measurements
640
00:34:22,161 --> 00:34:25,429
that we're making
from each individual block,
641
00:34:25,497 --> 00:34:28,198
and then that gets translated
into an actual digital signature
642
00:34:28,267 --> 00:34:30,667
which I visualize here
with a stemplot.
643
00:34:30,736 --> 00:34:34,471
NARRATOR:
He got the idea ten years ago.
644
00:34:34,540 --> 00:34:35,806
The internet had become
a platform
645
00:34:35,874 --> 00:34:38,442
for child pornographers.
646
00:34:38,510 --> 00:34:42,512
The technology is called
"robust hashing."
647
00:34:42,581 --> 00:34:44,648
All that is,
is a very simple idea,
648
00:34:44,716 --> 00:34:48,385
is that from an image or a video
or an audio recording,
649
00:34:48,454 --> 00:34:50,787
you extract
a distinct signature.
650
00:34:50,856 --> 00:34:54,758
NARRATOR:
As the images move
through the internet,
651
00:34:54,827 --> 00:34:57,060
the signatures never change,
652
00:34:57,129 --> 00:35:00,464
no matter how many times
the images are modified.
653
00:35:00,532 --> 00:35:02,265
FARID:
So if there's just one image
654
00:35:02,334 --> 00:35:04,034
in an upload of yours
655
00:35:04,103 --> 00:35:05,535
that has child pornography,
we...
656
00:35:05,604 --> 00:35:07,537
the account can be frozen,
657
00:35:07,606 --> 00:35:09,539
the contents of that account
can be assessed,
658
00:35:09,608 --> 00:35:11,141
and new content
can be discovered.
659
00:35:11,210 --> 00:35:13,910
People don't trade
one or two images.
660
00:35:13,979 --> 00:35:15,979
They trade hundreds
and thousands of images.
661
00:35:16,048 --> 00:35:20,217
And you can very organically
grow the space of known content.
662
00:35:22,621 --> 00:35:23,820
NARRATOR:
It worked.
663
00:35:23,889 --> 00:35:26,056
The commercial product
that he helped create
664
00:35:26,125 --> 00:35:28,558
is called PhotoDNA.
665
00:35:28,627 --> 00:35:31,428
It has greatly reduced
child pornography
666
00:35:31,497 --> 00:35:35,632
on the big social networking
sites.
667
00:35:35,701 --> 00:35:37,167
Today, PhotoDNA is deployed
668
00:35:37,236 --> 00:35:39,436
on almost every major internet
company both here and abroad.
669
00:35:39,505 --> 00:35:42,305
It is, by my understanding,
eliminating
670
00:35:42,374 --> 00:35:46,009
upwards of four million
child pornography images a year
671
00:35:46,078 --> 00:35:47,711
from being redistributed.
672
00:35:47,779 --> 00:35:52,716
NARRATOR:
Farid is advocating a similar
approach to terrorism,
673
00:35:52,784 --> 00:35:57,787
but will the social networking
platforms go along?
674
00:35:57,856 --> 00:35:59,556
BICKERT:
Our mission is
to connect people,
675
00:35:59,625 --> 00:36:02,659
so we do want people to be able
to share content
676
00:36:02,728 --> 00:36:05,295
that may even be controversial,
677
00:36:05,364 --> 00:36:06,663
if it is important to them
678
00:36:06,732 --> 00:36:08,331
and it's something
that they want to communicate.
679
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,367
However, we also know
680
00:36:10,435 --> 00:36:11,801
that people won't share anything
about themselves
681
00:36:11,870 --> 00:36:13,303
if they're not in a safe place.
682
00:36:13,372 --> 00:36:15,672
We don't allow beheading videos.
683
00:36:15,741 --> 00:36:17,374
We also don't allow
any terror group
684
00:36:17,442 --> 00:36:19,943
to maintain a presence
on our site for any reason.
685
00:36:20,012 --> 00:36:23,780
NARRATOR:
But persistent terrorists
find a way,
686
00:36:23,849 --> 00:36:27,117
and extremist content
is readily available.
687
00:36:27,186 --> 00:36:30,020
Social networking companies say
they have a hard time
688
00:36:30,088 --> 00:36:34,791
drawing the line when it comes
to defining extremism.
689
00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:37,093
FARID:
What we have
is a problem of will.
690
00:36:37,162 --> 00:36:38,795
They do not want to be put
691
00:36:38,864 --> 00:36:41,131
at the nexus
of criminal organizations,
692
00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:42,732
extremist organizations,
693
00:36:42,801 --> 00:36:44,634
and law enforcement
and national security.
694
00:36:44,703 --> 00:36:47,637
They feel like they don't have
a responsibility there.
695
00:36:51,710 --> 00:36:56,146
NARRATOR:
It was March of 2012,
696
00:36:56,215 --> 00:36:58,315
long before the social
networking companies
697
00:36:58,383 --> 00:37:00,750
cracked down on terror.
698
00:37:00,819 --> 00:37:02,152
Somewhere in Somalia,
699
00:37:02,221 --> 00:37:05,155
Omar Hammami was once again
using the internet
700
00:37:05,224 --> 00:37:07,657
to reach a global audience,
701
00:37:07,726 --> 00:37:12,429
this time posting a plea
on YouTube for his life....
702
00:37:12,497 --> 00:37:15,165
(speaking Arabic)
703
00:37:15,234 --> 00:37:17,767
NARRATOR:
Speaking first in Arabic
and then in English.
704
00:37:17,836 --> 00:37:20,270
It is plainly evident
to the world...
705
00:37:20,339 --> 00:37:22,472
HAMMAMI:
To whomever it may reach
from the Muslims...
706
00:37:22,541 --> 00:37:25,041
NARRATOR:
...he has worn out his welcome
707
00:37:25,110 --> 00:37:27,277
with the leadership
of al Shabaab.
708
00:37:27,346 --> 00:37:29,546
HAMMAMI:
I record this message today
709
00:37:29,615 --> 00:37:32,882
because I feel that my life may
be endangered by al Shabaab
710
00:37:32,951 --> 00:37:35,819
due to some differences
that occurred between us
711
00:37:35,887 --> 00:37:38,555
regarding matters of the sharia
and matters of strategy.
712
00:37:38,624 --> 00:37:40,557
That was extremely
unusual break.
713
00:37:40,626 --> 00:37:42,892
Prior to that, jihadi disputes
714
00:37:42,961 --> 00:37:46,496
tended to be carefully managed
behind the scenes.
715
00:37:46,565 --> 00:37:48,765
So this was a big deal
when he showed up
716
00:37:48,834 --> 00:37:50,267
and made the statement
717
00:37:50,335 --> 00:37:53,670
that al Shabaab was trying
to kill him.
718
00:37:53,739 --> 00:37:55,705
In order to promote that video,
719
00:37:55,774 --> 00:37:58,108
he had signed up for a number
of social media platforms.
720
00:37:58,176 --> 00:38:01,911
NARRATOR:
He also had a book to promote.
721
00:38:01,980 --> 00:38:04,581
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
Due to the unpredictable nature
of the environment
722
00:38:04,650 --> 00:38:06,383
in the lands of jihad,
723
00:38:06,451 --> 00:38:09,552
I decided now is as good a time
as any
724
00:38:09,621 --> 00:38:12,489
to release the first part
of my autobiography.
725
00:38:12,557 --> 00:38:14,357
Although nothing special,
726
00:38:14,426 --> 00:38:16,893
I thought my addition
to the jihadi library
727
00:38:16,962 --> 00:38:19,763
could at least provide
some benefit.
728
00:38:19,831 --> 00:38:23,466
NARRATOR:
He took to Twitter
like no terrorist had before,
729
00:38:23,535 --> 00:38:26,636
interacting with a wide range
of analysts, reporters,
730
00:38:26,705 --> 00:38:28,805
and terrorism experts.
731
00:38:28,874 --> 00:38:33,910
He did change the flavor
of the environment of Twitter
732
00:38:33,979 --> 00:38:36,346
and the accessibility of Twitter
for people.
733
00:38:36,415 --> 00:38:38,148
He engaged with a lot of people.
734
00:38:38,216 --> 00:38:39,683
He was trying to talk.
735
00:38:39,751 --> 00:38:43,887
BERGEN:
We didn't see terrorists
tweeting in this manner before.
736
00:38:43,955 --> 00:38:45,188
He was writing in English,
737
00:38:45,257 --> 00:38:47,157
you know, had a reasonably
good sense of humor.
738
00:38:47,225 --> 00:38:49,359
He's tweeting about jihad,
739
00:38:49,428 --> 00:38:52,929
and he's an accessible guy,
and it's easy to follow him.
740
00:38:52,998 --> 00:38:54,264
He would show up,
and he was talking,
741
00:38:54,333 --> 00:38:56,199
and I was, like, "Well, I should
just keep talking."
742
00:38:56,268 --> 00:39:02,339
NARRATOR:
At first, J.M. Berger approached
Omar with journalistic intent.
743
00:39:02,407 --> 00:39:04,874
At first, I was trying
to pump him for information
744
00:39:04,943 --> 00:39:07,444
about what was going on with him
and al Shabaab,
745
00:39:07,512 --> 00:39:09,079
and, you know, it was
sort of utilitarian.
746
00:39:09,147 --> 00:39:13,450
NARRATOR:
He began his dialogue with Omar
in May of 2012,
747
00:39:13,518 --> 00:39:16,786
first via email,
and then moving to Twitter,
748
00:39:16,855 --> 00:39:21,024
long before any crackdown
on tweeting terrorists.
749
00:39:21,093 --> 00:39:23,993
They debated the rationale
for targeting civilians,
750
00:39:24,062 --> 00:39:27,263
how religious scholars
justify jihad,
751
00:39:27,332 --> 00:39:30,433
and the morality
of drone strikes.
752
00:39:30,502 --> 00:39:32,335
BERGER:
It just kind of turned,
after a while,
753
00:39:32,404 --> 00:39:33,436
into a regular conversation
754
00:39:33,505 --> 00:39:34,971
like I have with lots
of other people,
755
00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:36,172
colleagues that I have online,
756
00:39:36,241 --> 00:39:39,242
except that he is not
a colleague.
757
00:39:39,311 --> 00:39:40,977
Kind of an extraordinary
regular conversation,
758
00:39:41,046 --> 00:39:42,145
I'd say, huh?
759
00:39:42,214 --> 00:39:44,013
It was... it was strange;
it was surreal.
760
00:39:44,082 --> 00:39:47,584
NARRATOR:
And, at times, humorous.
761
00:39:47,652 --> 00:39:50,320
At one point,
Omar jokingly asked Berger
762
00:39:50,389 --> 00:39:53,022
if he ever considered
switching sides.
763
00:39:53,091 --> 00:39:57,627
BERGER:
"I'd miss the music, bikinis,
and bacon too much."
764
00:39:57,696 --> 00:39:58,828
(computer making tweet sound)
765
00:39:58,897 --> 00:40:00,330
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
I see your bikinis
766
00:40:00,399 --> 00:40:02,465
and raise you
four wives in this life,
767
00:40:02,534 --> 00:40:05,335
72 in the next!
768
00:40:05,404 --> 00:40:07,771
When Omar emerged
onto social media,
769
00:40:07,839 --> 00:40:09,939
he was not the first jihadist
to get on Twitter,
770
00:40:10,008 --> 00:40:11,808
but it was something
that hadn't really been done
771
00:40:11,877 --> 00:40:14,411
by somebody who is
in a war zone, representing.
772
00:40:14,479 --> 00:40:18,381
NARRATOR:
A terrorist on the front lines
of jihad,
773
00:40:18,450 --> 00:40:22,552
speaking, debating, cajoling,
even joking,
774
00:40:22,621 --> 00:40:27,457
an AK-47 in one hand,
a global megaphone in the other.
775
00:40:27,526 --> 00:40:29,726
BERGEN:
I think he was a harbinger.
776
00:40:29,795 --> 00:40:32,862
ISIS didn't come into existence
until 2014,
777
00:40:32,931 --> 00:40:34,130
and they took that model
778
00:40:34,199 --> 00:40:37,367
and they kind of amplified it
significantly.
779
00:40:40,806 --> 00:40:43,106
NARRATOR:
Omar was now on the run,
780
00:40:43,175 --> 00:40:46,376
taunting the leadership
of al Shabaab via Twitter
781
00:40:46,445 --> 00:40:49,846
even as he tried to evade them
in the forest.
782
00:40:49,915 --> 00:40:53,249
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
Shabaab has changed strategy--
783
00:40:53,318 --> 00:40:55,652
from choosing
the best legitimate targets
784
00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:57,687
to hitting whatever target
they can
785
00:40:57,756 --> 00:41:00,156
and then legitimizing it later.
786
00:41:00,225 --> 00:41:03,960
NARRATOR:
In March 2013,
the U.S. government
787
00:41:04,029 --> 00:41:08,364
put a $5 million bounty
on Omar Hammami's head.
788
00:41:08,433 --> 00:41:11,901
Al Shabaab assassins
came for him a month later.
789
00:41:11,970 --> 00:41:14,237
Because he was creating
790
00:41:14,306 --> 00:41:17,173
a huge amount of publicity
and bad press for al Shabaab,
791
00:41:17,242 --> 00:41:18,975
al Shabaab had to respond.
792
00:41:19,044 --> 00:41:22,412
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
Just been shot in the neck
by Shabaab assassin.
793
00:41:22,481 --> 00:41:24,180
Not critical yet.
794
00:41:24,249 --> 00:41:25,181
(computer makes tweet sound)
795
00:41:25,250 --> 00:41:27,116
BERGER:
"Seriously? You shot?"
796
00:41:27,185 --> 00:41:28,218
(computer makes tweet sound)
797
00:41:28,286 --> 00:41:29,385
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
Yeah, sucks.
798
00:41:29,454 --> 00:41:32,489
He live-tweeted
an assassination attempt.
799
00:41:32,557 --> 00:41:35,091
BERGER:
He uploaded a couple of pictures
of his injury.
800
00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:36,092
He had been grazed.
801
00:41:36,161 --> 00:41:37,827
It wasn't a serious injury.
802
00:41:37,896 --> 00:41:39,262
(computer tweets)
803
00:41:39,331 --> 00:41:40,730
BERGER:
"If you want to get out of this,
804
00:41:40,799 --> 00:41:42,899
I'd do whatever I could
to get you a liveable deal."
805
00:41:42,968 --> 00:41:44,167
(computer tweets)
806
00:41:44,236 --> 00:41:45,902
HAMMAMI (dramatized):
You know I'm not on it.
807
00:41:45,971 --> 00:41:48,338
I appreciate the compassion,
though.
808
00:41:48,406 --> 00:41:49,973
I think he would have gotten
out of Somalia,
809
00:41:50,041 --> 00:41:51,508
maybe, if he could have,
810
00:41:51,576 --> 00:41:54,410
but he did feel like this was
a fight that he had a part in
811
00:41:54,479 --> 00:41:55,812
and that he should stick
with it.
812
00:41:55,881 --> 00:41:57,347
KHAN:
He said, "If I come back,
813
00:41:57,415 --> 00:41:59,215
"I'll be in jail
for the rest of my life.
814
00:41:59,284 --> 00:42:01,150
So why would I come back?"
815
00:42:01,219 --> 00:42:02,485
BERGER:
It was kind of amazing
816
00:42:02,554 --> 00:42:05,188
that Omar managed to hold out
as long as he did.
817
00:42:05,257 --> 00:42:07,490
Once he made that break,
he was eventually going to die.
818
00:42:07,559 --> 00:42:10,226
HAMMAMI:
The reason why I'm
in the forest right now
819
00:42:10,295 --> 00:42:12,829
is because I'm one
of the few people in Somalia
820
00:42:12,898 --> 00:42:14,564
who stood out against
the Shabaab
821
00:42:14,633 --> 00:42:17,567
blowing up innocent civilians.
822
00:42:17,636 --> 00:42:20,203
NARRATOR:
September 3, 2013:
823
00:42:20,272 --> 00:42:22,505
Omar granted
a telephone interview
824
00:42:22,574 --> 00:42:24,274
with the Voice of America.
825
00:42:24,342 --> 00:42:25,909
INTERVIEWER:
Are you a terrorist?
826
00:42:25,977 --> 00:42:27,844
HAMMAMI:
I'm definitely a terrorist.
827
00:42:27,913 --> 00:42:30,880
But I'm not a member of al Qaeda
or a member of Shabaab.
828
00:42:30,949 --> 00:42:33,616
I do believe in following
my religion
829
00:42:33,685 --> 00:42:36,753
even if that requires me
to use explosives
830
00:42:36,821 --> 00:42:39,422
or use an AK-47.
831
00:42:39,491 --> 00:42:42,258
INTERVIEWER:
What about coming back
to your family
832
00:42:42,327 --> 00:42:43,693
here in the United States?
833
00:42:43,762 --> 00:42:45,895
HAMMAMI:
That's definitely not an option
834
00:42:45,964 --> 00:42:48,197
unless it's in a body bag.
835
00:42:50,001 --> 00:42:53,870
NARRATOR:
Nine days later, Omar Hammami
was killed in an ambush.
836
00:42:57,275 --> 00:42:58,541
The meaning of Omar's life
837
00:42:58,610 --> 00:43:01,044
ended up being conflicted
at best
838
00:43:01,112 --> 00:43:03,313
and kind of empty at worst.
839
00:43:03,381 --> 00:43:06,883
He literally gave his life for
this kind of jihadist movement,
840
00:43:06,952 --> 00:43:10,053
and yet his story is really
just a cautionary tale
841
00:43:10,121 --> 00:43:14,557
about why you shouldn't
join these groups.
842
00:43:14,626 --> 00:43:17,226
His death was a boon
for counterterrorism efforts
843
00:43:17,295 --> 00:43:19,796
and countering violent extremism
efforts.
844
00:43:19,864 --> 00:43:22,765
He gave us a narrative to use
845
00:43:22,834 --> 00:43:26,803
to counter
this recruitment pitch.
846
00:43:26,871 --> 00:43:29,105
NARRATOR:
Omar Hammami seemed intent
847
00:43:29,174 --> 00:43:32,241
on his path
toward violent extremism.
848
00:43:32,310 --> 00:43:36,646
But could a person so determined
be thwarted along the way?
849
00:43:40,952 --> 00:43:44,721
Does terrorism respond
to an intervention?
850
00:43:44,789 --> 00:43:47,523
The idea is gaining new traction
in the West.
851
00:43:47,592 --> 00:43:52,629
In Toronto, Mubin Shaikh
is a leading advocate
852
00:43:52,697 --> 00:43:57,266
of what's known
as "deradicalization."
853
00:43:57,335 --> 00:44:00,803
He has walked the walk
854
00:44:00,872 --> 00:44:02,905
and walked it all back.
855
00:44:02,974 --> 00:44:04,841
SHAIKH:
I think we've long acknowledged
856
00:44:04,909 --> 00:44:07,577
we cannot kill an ideology.
857
00:44:07,646 --> 00:44:09,579
We can kill a whole lot
of people
858
00:44:09,648 --> 00:44:11,114
who subscribe to the ideology.
859
00:44:11,182 --> 00:44:13,182
If you are going to have
a battle of ideas,
860
00:44:13,251 --> 00:44:14,283
better ideas win.
861
00:44:14,352 --> 00:44:16,819
That's proven.
862
00:44:16,888 --> 00:44:20,523
NARRATOR:
He is living proof.
863
00:44:20,592 --> 00:44:23,326
He is the son of conservative
Islamic parents
864
00:44:23,395 --> 00:44:24,861
who emigrated from India.
865
00:44:24,929 --> 00:44:30,299
As a teenager, he embraced
secular Western culture.
866
00:44:30,368 --> 00:44:37,006
It led to a rift that eventually
propelled him toward extremism.
867
00:44:37,075 --> 00:44:41,878
Ironically, six years later,
9/11 made him rethink it all.
868
00:44:41,946 --> 00:44:43,913
Mubin, I think, is an
interesting example of somebody
869
00:44:43,982 --> 00:44:45,982
who, you know, went
all the way down that path
870
00:44:46,051 --> 00:44:47,850
and then came back,
871
00:44:47,919 --> 00:44:49,352
and now, is attempting
to dissuade other people
872
00:44:49,421 --> 00:44:52,055
from doing the same thing.
873
00:44:52,123 --> 00:44:54,123
He understands the process
by which some of these people
874
00:44:54,192 --> 00:44:55,224
have gone down this path,
875
00:44:55,293 --> 00:44:57,694
and I think
that's very powerful.
876
00:44:57,762 --> 00:44:59,829
He can talk about this in a way
that no one else can.
877
00:45:03,134 --> 00:45:06,402
NARRATOR:
He went to Syria
to study the Koran,
878
00:45:06,471 --> 00:45:08,771
to understand where he had been
879
00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:11,541
and where he was going.
880
00:45:11,609 --> 00:45:14,110
And he met the right imam
at the right time.
881
00:45:14,179 --> 00:45:16,179
SHAIKH:
We started talking,
882
00:45:16,247 --> 00:45:19,716
and he realized that, you know,
I was this Western kid,
883
00:45:19,784 --> 00:45:23,119
looking the way that I looked,
big beard, long robe,
884
00:45:23,188 --> 00:45:24,220
and for whatever reason,
decided,
885
00:45:24,289 --> 00:45:25,855
"Hey, I'm going to work
on this guy."
886
00:45:25,924 --> 00:45:28,324
And...
887
00:45:28,393 --> 00:45:31,027
You know, I spent a lot of time
with him,
888
00:45:31,096 --> 00:45:32,795
and led me
through the Koran, man,
889
00:45:32,864 --> 00:45:35,498
verse by verse by verse.
890
00:45:35,567 --> 00:45:39,902
NARRATOR:
Mubin Shaikh soon saw the Koran
in a whole new light.
891
00:45:39,971 --> 00:45:43,206
SHAIKH:
I always give this example
of chapter nine, verse five.
892
00:45:43,274 --> 00:45:44,741
You know, it says,
"Kill the unbelievers
893
00:45:44,809 --> 00:45:46,943
wherever you find them."
894
00:45:47,011 --> 00:45:49,178
The sheikh who taught me
said to me,
895
00:45:49,247 --> 00:45:52,014
"Do you normally start
from verse five
896
00:45:52,083 --> 00:45:54,117
"or do you start from verse one?
897
00:45:54,185 --> 00:45:56,652
Let's start from verse one."
898
00:45:56,721 --> 00:46:00,089
And then you get the context,
"This is about the treaty
899
00:46:00,158 --> 00:46:04,727
that we had with the pagans
at that time."
900
00:46:04,796 --> 00:46:07,463
Oh, so it's a very
specific context.
901
00:46:07,532 --> 00:46:10,166
Then verse four, the one
right before five, says,
902
00:46:10,235 --> 00:46:14,470
"This does not apply
to those polytheists
903
00:46:14,539 --> 00:46:15,972
"who did not break the treaty
904
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:20,109
and did not fight you
because you're Muslims."
905
00:46:20,178 --> 00:46:22,779
By the end of the two years,
I realized,
906
00:46:22,847 --> 00:46:25,581
"Man, I had it wrong all along."
907
00:46:25,650 --> 00:46:30,720
Now I'm empowered with this new
understanding that I have.
908
00:46:30,789 --> 00:46:32,989
And the guy told me,
he says, "Go back.
909
00:46:33,057 --> 00:46:34,590
"Go back and teach the people,
910
00:46:34,659 --> 00:46:36,659
"and keep your people safe.
911
00:46:36,728 --> 00:46:39,061
"This is not our way.
912
00:46:39,130 --> 00:46:41,197
Show them the way."
913
00:46:41,266 --> 00:46:42,999
NARRATOR:
Which is what he did.
914
00:46:43,067 --> 00:46:45,968
A father of five, he has devoted
his life to the idea
915
00:46:46,037 --> 00:46:50,306
that what he learned
can be taught to others.
916
00:46:50,375 --> 00:46:52,375
SHAIKH:
You have to show them
that what they're doing
917
00:46:52,443 --> 00:46:54,310
is actually not Islam at all.
918
00:46:54,379 --> 00:46:56,879
It's this other thing
that they've created,
919
00:46:56,948 --> 00:46:58,414
thinking that it's Islam,
920
00:46:58,483 --> 00:47:00,983
thinking that it's a solution,
but in fact it's the problem.
921
00:47:01,052 --> 00:47:02,819
REPORTER:
ISIS was quick
922
00:47:02,887 --> 00:47:04,987
to claim responsibility
for today's attack...
923
00:47:05,056 --> 00:47:06,956
NARRATOR:
As the world searches
for answers to extremism,
924
00:47:07,025 --> 00:47:09,325
more and more people
are listening
925
00:47:09,394 --> 00:47:11,494
to messages like Mubin's,
926
00:47:11,563 --> 00:47:13,462
asking whether what helped him
927
00:47:13,531 --> 00:47:17,333
can be implemented
on a more widespread basis.
928
00:47:17,402 --> 00:47:19,402
In the United States,
the idea is new,
929
00:47:19,470 --> 00:47:23,039
but it's now being tested
in the heartland.
930
00:47:27,011 --> 00:47:28,077
Minneapolis.
931
00:47:28,146 --> 00:47:30,213
The metro area is home
932
00:47:30,281 --> 00:47:33,249
to the largest Somali-American
community in the U.S.:
933
00:47:33,318 --> 00:47:36,319
25,000 live here.
934
00:47:36,387 --> 00:47:37,987
Many came in the mid-'90s,
935
00:47:38,056 --> 00:47:42,658
when their home country was torn
by civil war.
936
00:47:42,727 --> 00:47:44,894
In this refuge
from their homeland,
937
00:47:44,963 --> 00:47:48,097
they found relative peace
and prosperity,
938
00:47:48,166 --> 00:47:51,267
a peace that was recently
shattered.
939
00:47:51,336 --> 00:47:52,335
REPORTER:
These are the type
940
00:47:52,403 --> 00:47:53,536
of terrorism-related arrests
941
00:47:53,605 --> 00:47:55,838
that we're seeing more often
in the U.S.
942
00:47:55,907 --> 00:47:58,574
NARRATOR:
Nine young men,
all in their teens or early 20s,
943
00:47:58,643 --> 00:48:00,042
were arrested.
944
00:48:00,111 --> 00:48:02,178
They planned to make their way
into Syria
945
00:48:02,247 --> 00:48:03,279
to fight for ISIS.
946
00:48:03,348 --> 00:48:05,548
...dozens of whom have traveled,
947
00:48:05,617 --> 00:48:07,617
or attempted to travel,
overseas...
948
00:48:07,685 --> 00:48:10,653
NARRATOR:
The case of these young men
is one chapter
949
00:48:10,722 --> 00:48:14,090
in a long, sad story
here in Minnesota.
950
00:48:14,158 --> 00:48:16,125
The exodus began in 2007,
951
00:48:16,194 --> 00:48:20,396
as young Somalis were called
by the likes of Omar Hammami
952
00:48:20,465 --> 00:48:23,165
to join the ranks of al Shabaab
953
00:48:23,234 --> 00:48:25,334
in the country
of their ethnic origin.
954
00:48:25,403 --> 00:48:26,669
We need more like him,
955
00:48:26,738 --> 00:48:28,571
so if you can encourage
more of your children
956
00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:30,239
and more of your neighbors...
957
00:48:30,308 --> 00:48:33,276
NARRATOR:
But these nine young men were
called to Syria by ISIS.
958
00:48:35,079 --> 00:48:39,282
Minnesota has the greatest
number of terrorism prosecutions
959
00:48:39,350 --> 00:48:42,151
of any of the federal districts
in the United States.
960
00:48:42,220 --> 00:48:44,687
NARRATOR:
Chief Judge John Tunheim
believes
961
00:48:44,756 --> 00:48:47,356
it's time for a new approach.
962
00:48:47,425 --> 00:48:51,093
But this is uncharted territory.
963
00:48:51,162 --> 00:48:53,062
There is no national protocol,
964
00:48:53,131 --> 00:48:56,465
no evaluation tool
that we are able to find.
965
00:48:56,534 --> 00:48:59,468
So that's why we decided
we would take the lead
966
00:48:59,537 --> 00:49:01,837
on trying to develop tools,
967
00:49:01,906 --> 00:49:05,174
so that we can provide that kind
of assistance to judges
968
00:49:05,243 --> 00:49:09,845
and ultimately, hopefully,
to the Bureau of Prisons.
969
00:49:09,914 --> 00:49:11,681
NARRATOR:
Right now, U.S. federal prisons
970
00:49:11,749 --> 00:49:15,618
do not have
any deradicalization programs,
971
00:49:15,687 --> 00:49:18,721
but the judge is pushing
for them to start.
972
00:49:18,790 --> 00:49:20,356
For now, he's trying
to determine
973
00:49:20,425 --> 00:49:24,660
which of these young men
could be deradicalized.
974
00:49:24,729 --> 00:49:29,165
To find out, he turned to this
man in Stuttgart, Germany.
975
00:49:29,233 --> 00:49:30,633
DANIEL KOEHLER:
It's like peeling an onion.
976
00:49:30,702 --> 00:49:32,201
Layer by layer,
977
00:49:32,270 --> 00:49:34,103
you try
to work yourself to the core
978
00:49:34,172 --> 00:49:35,338
and offer something that gets
979
00:49:35,406 --> 00:49:37,273
more and more attractive
to that person,
980
00:49:37,342 --> 00:49:40,876
to compete with a narrative
of groups like ISIL or al Qaeda.
981
00:49:40,945 --> 00:49:43,212
(chanting)
982
00:49:43,281 --> 00:49:47,850
NARRATOR:
Daniel Koehler has deradicalized
neo-Nazis for years,
983
00:49:47,919 --> 00:49:50,586
and he says the approach
is much the same,
984
00:49:50,655 --> 00:49:56,359
but the enticement to religious
extremism is very compelling.
985
00:49:56,427 --> 00:50:00,629
It's the opportunity to become
a hero, to become a martyr,
986
00:50:00,698 --> 00:50:03,699
to serve a cause
greater than your own.
987
00:50:03,768 --> 00:50:06,402
NARRATOR:
Psychologist Arie Kruglanski
believes
988
00:50:06,471 --> 00:50:10,339
it is very difficult to offer
an alternative to that,
989
00:50:10,408 --> 00:50:14,677
but he has data that shows
deradicalization works.
990
00:50:14,746 --> 00:50:18,981
In Sri Lanka, he studied the
Tamil Tigers at different times
991
00:50:19,050 --> 00:50:23,352
during their first year home
after a long civil war.
992
00:50:23,421 --> 00:50:25,888
Some were exposed to a full
deradicalization program,
993
00:50:25,957 --> 00:50:29,492
others were not.
994
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:32,428
KRUGLANSKI:
We found a significant decline
in violence
995
00:50:32,497 --> 00:50:35,464
in the experimental group
that received the treatment,
996
00:50:35,533 --> 00:50:37,466
as compared to the control group
997
00:50:37,535 --> 00:50:38,601
that received
only minimal treatment.
998
00:50:40,805 --> 00:50:44,340
Human minds, human psyches
are malleable.
999
00:50:44,409 --> 00:50:45,975
They are pliable.
1000
00:50:46,044 --> 00:50:48,411
In the same way
as a person gets radicalized,
1001
00:50:48,479 --> 00:50:49,879
changes from, you know,
1002
00:50:49,947 --> 00:50:52,982
a mainstream kind of person
to a fringe kind of person,
1003
00:50:53,051 --> 00:50:54,350
they can be brought back,
1004
00:50:54,419 --> 00:50:55,851
and also, they can be
re-radicalized.
1005
00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:59,789
NARRATOR:
This is risky business.
1006
00:50:59,857 --> 00:51:01,757
A failed deradicalization
attempt
1007
00:51:01,826 --> 00:51:04,427
can make things even worse.
1008
00:51:04,495 --> 00:51:07,396
KOEHLER:
If you fail to convince someone
1009
00:51:07,465 --> 00:51:09,932
that that certain ideology
or that narrative
1010
00:51:10,001 --> 00:51:11,700
is inherently wrong,
1011
00:51:11,769 --> 00:51:15,171
you will inoculate that person
against these arguments.
1012
00:51:15,239 --> 00:51:20,209
That person will leave the room
as much more radicalized
1013
00:51:20,278 --> 00:51:23,512
and much more convinced
that he or she is actually right
1014
00:51:23,581 --> 00:51:25,581
about their beliefs,
about their viewpoints,
1015
00:51:25,650 --> 00:51:28,417
and they can go on,
radicalize others
1016
00:51:28,486 --> 00:51:30,019
and spread that message.
1017
00:51:30,088 --> 00:51:32,621
That would be one risk.
1018
00:51:32,690 --> 00:51:36,492
NARRATOR:
Indeed, prisons in Europe have
become jihadi universities.
1019
00:51:36,561 --> 00:51:41,497
And Judge Tunheim wants to make
sure that doesn't happen here.
1020
00:51:48,406 --> 00:51:51,507
Still, setting up
a deradicalization program
1021
00:51:51,576 --> 00:51:53,709
is neither cheap nor easy
1022
00:51:53,778 --> 00:51:56,846
and there are many possible
approaches.
1023
00:51:56,914 --> 00:52:00,149
But there is no doubt
in Mubin Shaikh's mind
1024
00:52:00,218 --> 00:52:03,452
that these efforts can work,
if they are done right.
1025
00:52:03,521 --> 00:52:06,489
SHAIKH:
It's closer to more art form
than it is science.
1026
00:52:06,557 --> 00:52:09,892
A lot of it is interpersonal
communication.
1027
00:52:09,961 --> 00:52:12,995
It's, a lot of it is, like,
mediation principles,
1028
00:52:13,064 --> 00:52:16,499
talking to people, understanding
where they come from.
1029
00:52:16,567 --> 00:52:19,235
Principles of social work apply
to this.
1030
00:52:19,303 --> 00:52:22,538
So it draws
from multiple disciplines,
1031
00:52:22,607 --> 00:52:24,039
but at the end of the day,
1032
00:52:24,108 --> 00:52:26,108
it comes down to the person
that's delivering it.
1033
00:52:26,177 --> 00:52:31,514
NARRATOR:
Unfortunately, this potential
solution moves a lot slower
1034
00:52:31,582 --> 00:52:35,351
than the wildfire
it aims to douse.
1035
00:52:35,419 --> 00:52:38,754
Deradicalizing an individual
takes time.
1036
00:52:38,823 --> 00:52:40,623
Do we have it?
1037
00:52:40,691 --> 00:52:45,027
SHAIKH:
There're so many young people
that are being lost to this.
1038
00:52:45,096 --> 00:52:46,795
What are we waiting for?
1039
00:52:46,864 --> 00:52:49,098
Stop waiting, we don't have
the luxury of time.
1040
00:53:12,190 --> 00:53:14,890
This NOVA program is
available on DVD.
1041
00:53:14,959 --> 00:53:20,296
To order, visit shopPBS.org,
or call 1-800-play-PBS.
1042
00:53:20,364 --> 00:53:22,965
NOVA is also available
for download on iTunes.