Where: American Philosophical Society, Franklin Hall,

427 Chestnut St., Philadelphia PA 19106

In the United States, the terrorist threat to the “homeland” has received extensive attention as the subject of countless articles in the press, official government statements, intelligence estimates, and comments from candidates for national and local offices.

Almost always, the threat is identified as foreign in origin — Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, some other militant group, usually Islamist, or a rogue state.

But is the United States vulnerable to “homegrown terrorists,” such as those responsible for recent attacks in London and Spain?


A report by the New York Police Department in August warned that radicalized U.S. citizens pose a risk, and the recent plot against servicemen at Fort Dix suggests the risk may be greater than most Americans believe.

Terrorism on the Home Front seeks to examine the potential for “homegrown terrorism” by using information drawn from overseas case studies. The speakers will comment on the origins of terrorist cells, their social and psychological frameworks, and the motivations for their actions.

In addition to Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania and secretary of Homeland Security, the panel will include Marc Sageman, independent researcher on terrorism and author of Leaderless Jihad; Ian S. Lustick, professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, where he holds the Bess W. Heyman Chair; and Jessica Stern, academic director of the Program on Terrorism and the Law at Harvard Law School and lecturer in government at Harvard University, where she teaches courses on terrorism and counterterrorism.

Sponsored by Temple’s College of Liberal Arts, the discussion will be moderated by Richard H. Immerman, assistant deputy director of National Intelligence for Analytical Integrity and Standards. At Temple University, Immerman is professor and distinguished faculty fellow in history and the Marvin Wachman Director of the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy.

To register, contact Ashley Grubb by e-mail to claevent@temple.edu or by phone at 215-204-9556.