Prior to Wednesday’s deadly shootings in Paris, concerns had already been growing among Western nations about radically-inspired Islamic militants. A former director of the CIA called homegrown terrorism — acts committed by citizens — the most serious threat facing American citizens. CCTV America’s Nathan King reported this story from Washington, D.C.

Some examples of homegrown inspired global attacks include:

• Last month’s deadly siege of a Sydney, Australia café which left two hostages and the self-proclaimed sheikh gunman dead.
• A former French fighter with links to ISIL is suspected of opening fire at a Jewish museum in Brussels last May, killing four .
• In March, a knife-wielding gang of militants attacked people at Kunming railway station in China killing 29 and wounding 130.
• Two al-Qaeda inspired terrorists killed a British soldier on the streets of London in May 2013.

Jihadist groups have tried to encourage lone radical sympathizers in Western nations and elsewhere to carry out violence. A image was put out in an English language propaganda ISIL newsletter, describing a western Muslim sits praying, flanked by a pressure cooker with the skyline of New York in the background. Western security officials admit these types of plots are difficult to uncover.

They have also been worried about radicalized citizens joining the war in Syria and returning to plot attacks at home.

According to a study by security consulting firm, the Soufan Group, there have been more than 700 French citizens fighting in Syria at one time or another.

A U.N. Security Council resolution was recently passed, aimed at trying to stem the flow of fighters to and from conflicts like Syria.

In response to the Paris shootings, the U.N. said this is a global fight.