The Department of Justice and the White House have launched a program in some U.S. cities to identify and apprehend violent extremists and homegrown terrorists before they strike.

The effort brings together community representatives, public safety officials, religious leaders, and federal law enforcement in support of the nation’s counter-terrorism effort, according to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Holder said the emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, where some American have attempted to go in order to join the extremist militants, underscores the urgent nature of the threat Americans face from violent extremists.

The new security program is a coordinated effort of the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center.

The announcement comes ahead of the Countering Violent Extremism summit the White House will host in October.

 
…