Trends in the Draw of Americans to Foreign Terrorist Organizations from 9/11 to Today

Trends in the Draw of Americans to Foreign Terrorist Organizations from 9/11 to Today
Author: Heather J. Williams
Publisher: Rand Corporation
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2018-12-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1977401384

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has recently been more successful than al Qaeda in gaining U.S. terrorist recruits. The authors undertake a demographic profile of individuals drawn to foreign terrorist organizations and find that the affiliates average terrorists recruited by ISIL is younger, less educated, and more likely to be African American/black or Caucasian/white and a U.S.-born citizen.

American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat

American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat
Author: Jerome P. Bjelopera
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 135
Release: 2013
Genre:
ISBN: 1437940234

This report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred since 9/11. For this report, "homegrown" and "domestic" are terms that describe terrorist activity or plots perpetrated within the United States or abroad by American citizens, legal permanent residents, or visitors radicalized largely within the United States. The report also discusses the radicalization process and the forces driving violent extremist activity. It analyzes post-9/11 domestic jihadist terrorism and describes law enforcement and intelligence efforts to combat terrorism and the challenges associated with those efforts. It also outlines actions underway to build trust and partnership between community groups and government agencies and the tensions that may occur between law enforcement and engagement activities.

American Self-Radicalizing Terrorists and the Allure of "Jihadi Cool/Chic"

American Self-Radicalizing Terrorists and the Allure of
Author: Caroline Picart
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2017-03-07
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1443874728

American Self-Radicalizing Terrorists and the Allure of Jihadi Cool/Chic provides a critical legal analysis of how American self-radicalizing terrorists become what they are by analyzing, in detail, the stories of Colleen LaRose, America’s first Most Wanted Female Terrorist, and the Tsarnaev brothers, Tamerlan and Jahar (Dzhokhar), the Boston Marathon Bombers. Drawing from the analytic tools of cutting-edge studies on terrorism by global experts, as well as the latest news reports, policy papers, Congressional Hearings, and legal documents, the book illustrates how the internet provides the means through which a self-activating terrorist may first self-radicalize through some imaginary or sympathetic connection with an organized terrorist network. Additionally, it shows how the romance of “jihadi cool/chic,” packaged by its mastery of Hollywood-style shots and editing, resulting in slick, high resolution productions micro-tailored to appeal to different audiences, is a pivotal factor in the evolution of self-radicalizing terrorists. While showing how there is no single deterministic pathway to radicalization, the book also demonstrates how the internet and imagined relations cemented by the rhetorics of “jihadi cool” or “jihadi chic” function as crucial catalysts, galvanizing “monster talk” into monstrous action. It includes an analysis of “America’s Most Watched Trial,” United States v. Tsarnaev, as it moved through its “guilt” and “penalty” phases, and its culmination in Jahar’s being sentenced to death by lethal injection as America’s youngest self-radicalizing terrorist. The book closes with concise updates regarding America’s self-radicalizing terrorists, such as, among others, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, the couple who sprayed a crowd of their colleagues with bullets at a San Bernardino holiday party on December 2, 2015; Omar Mateen, the security guard whose rampage at an Orlando nightclub on June 12, 2016 resulted in America’s worst mass shooting thus far; and Ahmad Khan Rahami, the individual arrested in relation to the New York and New Jersey bombings and attempted bombings on September 17-18, 2016.

The Myth of Martyrdom

The Myth of Martyrdom
Author: Adam Lankford
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2013
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0230342132

Adam Lankford looks at the motivation of suicide bombers and other rampage killers.

A Persistent Threat

A Persistent Threat
Author: Seth G. Jones
Publisher: Rand Corporation
Total Pages: 109
Release: 2014-06-04
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0833087185

This report examines the status and evolution of al Qa’ida and other Salafi-jihadist groups, and uses qualitative and quantitative data to assess whether this movement has strengthened. The author uses this analysis to examine U.S. strategic options to counter al Qa’ida and other terrorist groups based on the threat level and the capacity of local governments.

Syria through Jihadist Eyes

Syria through Jihadist Eyes
Author: Nibras Kazimi
Publisher: Hoover Press
Total Pages: 141
Release: 2013-09-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 081791076X

With field notes accumulated in a Syrian environment not generally hospitable to research and inquiry, Nibras Kazimi provides a unique view of the Syrian regime and its base at home, filling a void in our understanding of the intelligence barons and soldiers who run that country. He offers a look at the tactical, propagandists and strategic ingredients required, in jihadist eyes, for a successful jihad—and whether those ingredients are available in Syria.

Challengers from the Sidelines

Challengers from the Sidelines
Author: U. S. Military U.S. Military Academy
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2016-07-11
Genre:
ISBN: 9781535214513

This work seeks to explain how both exogenous and endogenous factors may shape the characteristics of American far right violence, including political, demographic, and economic factors. Findings indicate that contentious and conservative political environments as well as the political empowerment are positively associated with the volume of violence; thus, it is not only feelings of deprivation that motivate those involved in far right violence, but also the sense of empowerment that emerges when the political system is perceived to be increasingly permissive to far right ideas. These trends contradict predominant perceptions which associate motivational forces that facilitate political violence with the unbalanced allocation of goods, and provide support for explanations which focus on correlations between violence and perceived changes in the sociopolitical structure. While the findings are not particularly strong with regard to the relationship between the level of violence and economic factors, when looking at the trends in violence not only in relation to time, but also across space, and considering demographic indicators, it is clear that the violence is concentrated in heterogeneous areas, thus supporting theoretical assumptions associating intra-community violence with community cohesiveness and its members' perceptions regarding community boundaries. It is therefore clear from a policy perspective that more effort is needed to create effective integration mechanisms in areas in which we see growing ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. Finally, this work provides additional insights that raise new questions for further research, such as the perceived limited correlation between the level of violence and the proportion and size of certain minority groups; changing trends in cooperation between various ideological streams; the shift of the violence from the South to other parts of the country; changes in the balance of power within the movements; and the clear decline of some of the groups, such as anti-abortionist extremists. This study is intended to represent a point of departure for further exploration of the American far right in addition to informing current research and policy discussions.

Practical Terrorism Prevention

Practical Terrorism Prevention
Author: Jackson
Publisher: Rand Corporation
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2019-02-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1977401260

Researchers examined past U.S. countering violent extremism and terrorism prevention efforts and explored policy options to strengthen terrorism prevention in the future. They found that current terrorism prevention capabilities are relatively limited and that there is a perceived need for federal efforts to help strengthen local capacity. However, any federal efforts will need to focus on building community trust to be successful.