Africa has become the world’s most active terrorism theatre, with more than two-thirds of ISIS’s global activity occurring on the continent, according to a new report by the US House Committee on Homeland Security.

The committee, in a report released Thursday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, said seven of the 10 countries recording the highest number of terrorism-related deaths were in Africa.

It, however, said US and partner resources on the continent remained limited, while intelligence coverage was uneven.

The report, titled “25th Anniversary Report: National Security Improvements and the Domestic Threat Landscape 25 Years After 9/11/01,” assesses changes in the United States’ homeland security posture since the attacks and examines emerging threats to the country.

“The shift of jihadist activity toward Africa presents a strategic dilemma.

“With over two-thirds of ISIS’s global activity occurring on the continent and seven of the ten countries with the highest deaths linked to terrorism located there, Africa has become the world’s most active terrorism theater. Yet U.S. and partner resources remain limited, and intelligence coverage is uneven,” the committee said in the report.

The committee said the changing nature of terrorism had also forced the US to rethink how it identifies and prioritises threats, citing the expansion of the Foreign Terrorist Organization list to include cartels, criminal networks and ideologically diverse extremist groups.

It also identified the rise of lone actors and “inspired attackers” as a challenge requiring a shift from organisation-focused counterterrorism to prevention based on individual behaviour.

“The rise of lone actors and inspired attackers requires a shift from organization-centric counterterrorism to behavior-centric prevention,” the report said.

The committee further warned that the legal distinction between domestic terrorism, hate crimes and foreign-inspired extremism complicated both prosecution and prevention efforts.

It also identified the convergence of terrorism and cyber capabilities as an emerging challenge, saying traditional counterterrorism tools were insufficient for the new environment.

Cyber threats, AI raise new security concerns

Beyond terrorism, the committee said the US was facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats from nation states with capabilities comparable to intelligence services and military organisations.

“In cyberspace, the United States is no longer confronting only individual hackers seeking money or notoriety,” the report said.

“It now faces sustained campaigns carried out by nation states with the resources, patience, and capabilities of intelligence services and military organizations.”

The committee said the number of systems, devices, applications and third parties that organisations needed to protect had also expanded dramatically.

It said artificial intelligence was accelerating the transformation, with the technology capable of helping defenders analyse large volumes of security data, identify abnormal behaviour, prioritise vulnerabilities, generate defensive code and augment the cyber workforce.

But the committee said the same capabilities could be used by malicious actors.

Border risks persist

The report also highlighted continuing challenges around border security, screening and vetting.

It said advances in non-intrusive inspection technologies, including backscatter radiation scanners, had expanded the capacity to search cargo and improve safety, but warned that the sheer volume of goods entering the US increased the risk of dangerous contraband going undetected.

The committee said suspected terrorist organisations, transnational criminal organisations, human-smuggling networks and foreign non-state actors were increasingly exploiting commercially available cryptography, telecommunications and financial technologies to conceal and coordinate illicit activities.

It also said improvements along the US-Mexico border had prompted transnational criminal organisations to shift some of their activities towards the US-Canada border.

“While the Southwest border has rightly attracted the most attention from policymakers and the public alike over the last several years, recent border security improvements have also prompted TCOs to shift their efforts to the Northern border,” the report said.

23 recommendations

The committee made more than 20 recommendations to Congress and the executive branch, covering intelligence-sharing, counterterrorism, aviation security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, border security, emergency preparedness and biodefence.

Among other proposals, it called for improved information sharing between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, updated definitions of security threats, greater awareness of emerging terrorist tactics and organisations, and additional resources for northern border security.

It also recommended the full implementation of a biometric entry-exit system, increased use of non-intrusive inspection technology, risk-based AI cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure and stronger international partnerships.

The committee urged Congress and the executive branch to implement the recommendations quickly and on a bipartisan basis.

Committee Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino, a Republican representing New York, said significant progress had been made in strengthening US national security since the 9/11 attacks, but warned that the country needed to remain vigilant as threats evolved.

“Twenty-five years later, significant progress has been made towards strengthening our national security and ensuring we never again allow such an attack to be perpetrated against the United States,” Garbarino said in the report’s preface.

“This no-fail mission requires persistent vigilance and adaptation to keep pace with the contemporary threat environment.”

The report comes as the US prepares to mark 25 years since the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

The committee said its assessment was intended to examine improvements made since the attacks and identify deficiencies requiring further action.

Garbarino said the committee remained committed to protecting Americans and ensuring that younger generations and future national security leaders understood the significance of 9/11 and the continuing homeland security mission. (The PUNCH)