Kevin Johnson

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder announced a strategy Monday aimed at attempting to disrupt American extremists from joining terrorist groups, including those drawn to conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

"We have established processes for detecting American extremists who attempt to join terror groups abroad,'' Holder said in a video message on the Justice Department's website. "And we have engaged in extensive outreach to communities here in the U.S. — so we can work with them to identify threats before they emerge, to disrupt homegrown terrorists, and to apprehend would-be violent extremists.''

Holder said Justice was joining the White House, Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center to help local community leaders — public safety and religious leaders — identify those who may be seeking to join jihadist movements abroad.

U.S. officials estimate that more than 100 Americans have attempted to join fighting in the Syrian civil war, many of them aligned with the Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for the decapitations of two American journalists and one British aid worker in recent weeks and have threatened to launch strikes against U.S. interests.

Since 2012, the Justice Department said, federal prosecutors have participated in more than 1,700 meetings in an effort to open lines of communications with local communities.

"This innovative new pilot initiative will build on that important work,'' Holder said, adding that the White House would be hosting a "Countering Violent Extremism" summit in October.

"We must be both innovative and aggressive in countering violent extremism and combating those who would sow intolerance, division, and hate — not just within our borders, but with our international partners on a global scale,'' Holder said.