Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract: Online platforms have empowered foreign terrorist organizations to systematically spread ideologies across borders, creating radicalization pipelines that amplify domestic extremist violence in the United States. This comprehensive review examined empirical literature from the last five years to demonstrate how foreign terrorist narratives penetrate and amplify domestic extremism in the U.S. Findings reveal that foreign groups exploit online platforms and socio-political grievances to radicalize susceptible populations. Critically, reciprocal radicalization cycles emerge between disparate extremist movements, enabling ideological cross-pollination and tactical adaptation. Internet-facilitated contagion effects accelerate violence frequency and severity as celebrated foreign attacks inspire domestic imitations. Challenges to counter-terrorism efforts identified included the dynamic and adaptive nature of extremist groups, the rapid evolution of digital platforms, the continuous emergence of new communication technologies, the inherent difficulties in distinguishing between legitimate online discourses and radicalizing content, and the absence of a unified international legal framework. Effectively countering these transnational threats requires multifaceted approaches integrating international intelligence sharing, community resilience programs, and psychological understanding of radicalization pathways. Traditional counter-terrorism strategies prove insufficient against these evolving, decentralized threats demanding comprehensive, interdisciplinary interventions.