Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s Emmy-winning Manhunt) and based on the upcoming book United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists, by Peter Bergen, Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma is a gripping insider’s account of the homegrown terrorist threat in America, told from the perspectives of those who helped construct our counter-terrorism machine – as well as those who are its targets. The film debuts on Monday, February 8th exclusively on HBO Canada.
Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma explores the real and perceived threat of homegrown Islamic extremism through firsthand accounts from those on the front lines of this battle, including family members of convicted terrorists, those trying to dissuade young people from embracing extremism, Muslim Americans facing fear and suspicion in their communities, and victims of terrorist attacks. The documentary also features insights from counter-terrorism officials, experts and prosecutors who worked homegrown terrorist cases.
Among the questions the film raises: How big is the threat, and how effective have the efforts of U.S. counter-terrorism agencies been in combatting homegrown terrorism? What are the unintended consequences of these efforts? What freedoms and values are sacrificed in the effort to track down established and nascent extremists?
“Why is it that, ten years on, more than a decade after 9/11, American citizens are signing up for an Al Qaeda group or an Al Qaeda ideology?” asked Bergen (in an official press release). “That is a big puzzle.” Top Justice Department officials face the daunting challenge of identifying would-be terrorists and preventing acts of terrorist violence on American soil, while respecting the constitutional rights and privacy of American citizens.
Andrew Liepman, former deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center, explained, “[After 9/11] our job in counterterrorism wasn’t to minimize the likelihood of an attack— it was to eliminate the likelihood of an attack.”
Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma debuts on February 8th at 9pm on HBO Canada.
