Anne Speckhard | Georgetown University, School of Medicine (original) (raw)

Papers by Anne Speckhard

ICSVE

This is Session four of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police... more This is Session four of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police Prevention of Extremist Infiltration in Communities

ICSVE Research Reports, 2024

Targeted violence and violent extremism are on the rise in the United States and law enforcement ... more Targeted violence and violent extremism are on the rise in the United States and law enforcement personnel, specifically police officers and sheriffs’ deputies, are often the first line of defense in countering targeted violent extremist infiltration and recruitment attempts in their communities (https://www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022). Law enforcement often have little training to effectively identify and intervene with these new challenges of individuals who are at-risk of radicalization, are being, or have already been radicalized; as well as to protect against community and policing infiltration attempts by violent extremist groups trying to gain access to vulnerable community members and to police training and weapons.

The International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) is an internationally recognized and respected think tank for their research regarding the processes of radicalization, disengagement, deradicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration; prevention and intervention strategies; counter narrative videos and first-person video recorded interviews of over 800 terrorists and violent extremists. In 2022, ICSVE was awarded a US Department of Homeland Security Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant (Grant No: EMW-2022-GR-00076) to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based series of virtual and in-person multi-media trainings and follow-up briefs addressing law enforcement responses to violent extremism. The goal was for the trainings to be delivered to law enforcement and security professionals across the country and in the Washington, D.C. area to educate and prepare them for a new era of violent extremist radicalization and recruitment.

Creative and need-based approaches using multimedia presentations were developed by ICSVE based on actual case studies and research interviews to help police understand the psychosocial forces involved in radicalization to violent extremism, to prevent contributing to radicalization and to analyze psychosocial and policing perspectives on actual case studies of violent extremist events. The trainings took a whole-of-society view, taking into consideration systemic and developmental factors that make individuals highly vulnerable to recruitment, addressed the rise in online indoctrination and recruitment and the obstacles to detection for police and the factors which make exiting difficult for those already in such groups.

The project had two main objectives. The first objective was to provide American law enforcement with training and information that can be used to prevent violent extremist infiltration in their communities immediately and the second to provide proof of concept for the future development of a multimedia curriculum which can be disseminated to police and sheriff’s departments across the country and internationally as a virtual and perhaps even an asynchronous continuing education and training program.

Activities included developing six multi-media training modules delivered for law enforcement personnel followed by dissemination of related summary notes and research articles to all participants. Pre and post tests were administered, and the results were analyzed to verify that learning objectives were met. Likewise, the researchers collected participants' reviews of the materials, trainers, and suggestions for future trainings. Additionally, 5-10 law enforcement participants from each training group were involved in short interviews to review the trainings, learn what was most useful for police, how to increase their accessibility and suggestions for improvements.

ICSVE Research Reports, 2024

A significant escalation in Islamic State's (IS) attacks in Syria during the first half of the ... more A significant escalation in Islamic State's (IS) attacks in Syria during the first half of the year, combined with a recent surge in prison break attempts by detained IS operatives in Northern Syria allude to the group regaining strength. This was also evidenced by the US backed Kurdish led Syrian Democratic forces’ (SDF) recent arrest of a crucial IS facilitator who aided the escape of foreign IS detainees from a prison facility in Raqqa followed by the recapture of a Libyan and a Russian fighter with other three remaining at large. This resurgence also coincides with IS and its linked international financial networks ramping up their crowdfunding efforts to now extricate incarcerated senior IS operatives along with female IS detainees and adolescents out of Syrian internment camps.

For those who took part in our police trainings over the past two years we have put this policing... more For those who took part in our police trainings over the past two years we have put this policing resource guide on the process of radicalization together for your continued reference. Thank you for taking part in our trainings!

ICSVE Brief Reports, 2024

“Baqiya!” is the battle cry of those who continue to believe in the resurgence of ISIS. It is al... more “Baqiya!” is the battle cry of those who continue to believe in the resurgence of ISIS. It is also the battle cry of female ISIS enforcers in Camp al Roj, the camp in Syria housing women and children related to ISIS members. These women recently attacked and brutally beat Hoda Muthana, a woman who grew up in America—a girl who at age 19, had briefly believed the ISIS lies and joined the group only to find that it was not what she’d been told and who now strongly denounces ISIS. For these women, the battle cry of Baqiya means ISIS will remain and last forever. They firmly expect their ISIS brothers still free on the battle ground to come break the walls of the camp and bring them back into the ISIS Caliphate. This is not a completely unfounded hope, given the numbers of ISIS fighters still at loose is close to when the group first started. In 2022 the group successfully broke into the al Sina’a prison housing their male counterparts and prior to ISIS declaring a Caliphate they “broke the walls” in prisons in Iraq to free al Qaeda in Iraq fighters to rejoin them. These women have already drawn up kill lists for when that day happens and Hoda’s name is on it, along with the other women who now strongly and openly denounce ISIS.

Both Camps al Hol and al Roj are known for violence, even murders, carried out by ISIS die-hard enforcers who take their ire out on those who have walked away from the group. Last year women dedicated to ISIS were even found to be studding out teen boys to impregnate the ISIS die-hards, so they can increase the number of fighters for the group in preparation for their resurgence in the region.

ICSVE Research Reports, 2024

Militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) and its supporter communities are increasingly cap... more Militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) and its supporter communities are increasingly capitalizing on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to disseminate propaganda and disinformation more efficiently and at reduced costs. By exploiting generative AI through easy to use and accessible Chat bots, as well as image and audio generators, IS supporters are producing visually appealing and persuasive content that aligns with the organization's values, media outreach, and recruitment aims thereby expanding their propaganda reach. Following the deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall, in March, an IS supporter circulated AI-generated video news bulletins about the group’s global operations within pro-IS communication channels. This sparked extensive discussions and a growing interest among IS supporter networks in integrating AI into their media content creation. This development signified a pivotal shift in the utilization of AI as a key tool in the Islamic State and its regional affiliates' media warfare strategies, particularly, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) based in the Afghanistan Pakistan region, as it continues to be on a rampage posing a significant international security threat.
In the aftermath of IS Moscow attack, an IS sympathizer on the encrypted communication platform Rocket Chat circulated an AI-generated video news bulletin on the attack as part of an escalating anti-Russian propaganda campaign. In the video, realistic looking AI-generated characters in military fatigues emulating real news broadcasters read news dispatch about the attack in Arabic sourced from official Islamic State mouthpieces like al-Naba and Amaq news agency. With the AI generated humanoid broadcaster speaking and IS logo and news tickers moving along the bottom of the screen interspersed with footage showing IS fighters executing attacks, the broadcasting style closely emulated the popular television networks of Al Jazeera and CNN. Other AI-generated video news broadcasts of IS's operations in the Middle East and Africa were subsequently produced in a similar style, featuring a character in traditional Islamic outfit as part of what the IS supporter branded as the "News Harvest" program. In these cases, text-to-speech AI to convert written information into speech and audio with a human accent, and video generators were used producing these cutting-edge propaganda videos.

Subsequently, among fervent IS adherents, contentious discussions emerged regarding the theological ramifications of employing AI in their media production under Islamic law. Some contended that the portrayal of animated characters with discernible facial features in videos was haram (sin) in Islam, prompting the producer to obscure the speakers' visages in subsequent releases. Despite these modifications, other radical supporters urged the creator to eschew using "full-body animated characters" altogether, suggesting that the IS flag would be a more suitable background for future videos. Conversely, others advocated for launching analogous news programs in English and other languages to enhance engagement with Western Muslim audiences. Following this trend, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) and its supporter communities have now weaponized generative AI to produce similar interactive AI news reports, albeit with notable differences in visual style and narration, to amplify their propaganda messaging. This study investigates the gradual incorporation of AI into pro-ISKP supporters’ media propaganda through these broadcasts as well as the reactions of other supporters to these developments.

$Research paper thumbnail of \Militant Jihadist Groups Revitalize their Crowdfunding Campaigns$

Homeland Security Today, 2024

Jihadist groups like Al Qaeda, Islamic State and their sympathizers have been tapping into the he... more Jihadist groups like Al Qaeda, Islamic State and their sympathizers have been tapping into the heightened hostility and anger of Muslims over Israel’s aerial bombardment and military invasion of Gaza to bolster their financial resources through crowdfunding campaigns. In this context the role of digital currencies like Tether and Bitcoin coupled with the use of decentralized crypto exchange platforms by militant jihadists groups to launder funds has come under intense scrutiny after the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel. Recent monitoring by ICSVE suggests that entities linked to Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda (AQ) are building on past successes of exploiting sympathy for the Palestinians and now deeply exploiting the Israeli-Hamas conflict to boost their crowdfunding endeavors. Some pro-Al-Qaeda entities are even claiming to provide financial assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, primarily through cryptocurrency proceeds.

ICSVE Brief Reports, 2023

Despite notable repatriation progress in early 2023, involving 14 countries returning their natio... more Despite notable repatriation progress in early 2023, involving 14 countries returning their nationals, including children, the issue of detention centers and camps in Northeast Syria remains a critical challenge for the SDF and the US led anti-IS coalition. Likewise, Al-Hol camp continues to prove as a breeding ground for IS resurgence. The tough security regime and the robust monitoring and surveillance efforts undertaken by the AANES over the years has facilitated the camp administration in maintaining a semblance of relative security and stability, but the ideological influence of IS and its reign of terror spreads gradually through the group's foreign female stalwarts who are passing on the IS's extremist ideology to the next generation.

Homeland Security Today, 2023

ICSVE' monitoring of the IS-linked financial networks of the past 4 months (November 2022- Februa... more ICSVE' monitoring of the IS-linked financial networks of the past 4 months (November 2022- February 2023) suggest that these entities have prioritized raising smuggling capital for critically ill pro IS women detainees and children as well as boys who may otherwise be removed from the camps into rehabilitation centers, their mother's preferring to send them out to ISIS.

The Media Line, 2023

While some in camps for foreign ISIS-affiliated women want no more to do with Islamic State, othe... more While some in camps for foreign ISIS-affiliated women want no more to do with Islamic State, others refuse to accept caliphate's territorial defeat and seek to bear it more children, using pubescent boys within the camps as sexual partners As published in The Media Line ISIS has long been known for its sexual predation on Yazidi, Christian, Shia and even Sunni women who they captured and forced into sexual slavery, some sold to individual ISIS cadres, others serving in group homes where they were subjected to systematic multiple rapes. A new twist on ISIS's perverted practices is now becoming apparent in the camps housing 10,000 foreign ISIS-affiliated women and children-the sexual exploitation of adolescent and teenage boys.

The Daily Beast, 2023

Two boys have come forward to claim they were victims in a twisted plot run by ISIS women that fo... more Two boys have come forward to claim they were victims in a twisted plot run by ISIS women that forced at least 10 young teenagers to try to impregnate dozens of women held in a detention center. "We are being forced to have sex with the ISIS women, to impregnate them," Ahmet, 13, and Hamid, 14, told a guard at Camp al Hol in northeast Syria, according to Syrian Defense Force officials. "Can you get us out of here?" Camp al Hol is one of the detention centers housing approximately 8,000 foreign ISIS-affiliated women and children who surrendered or were captured as a result of the 2019 territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State.

Homeland Security Today, 2023

The welfare of children and adolescents housed in al Roj and al Hol camps located in Northeast Sy... more The welfare of children and adolescents housed in al Roj and al Hol camps located in Northeast Syria has also been the subject of considerable debate among Western policy makers, with the UNHCR, as well as the US, having called for the safe and voluntary return of these individuals to their countries of origin or third countries, as well as for the provision of protection and assistance to those who remain in the camps. While many repatriations have occurred, most countries have made them voluntary, allowing ISIS mothers to decide for their children if they wish to remain in the camps. Meanwhile ISIS children are being indoctrinated, endangered and the older boys are being separated from their mothers anyway due to security concerns in the camp. What is the best way forward and how does one sort through the ethical dilemmas of separating ISIS affiliated youth from their parents in these camps?

ICSVE Research Reports, 2023

Seventy-two cases of active-duty and veteran military members involved in white supremacist and v... more Seventy-two cases of active-duty and veteran military members involved in white supremacist and violent anti-government militias and groups located in open-source reporting from 2017-2022 were compiled and analyzed on 17 key variables. Researchers examined the shared characteristics among white supremacist and far-right violent extremists with military experience, differences between active-duty military members who engage in violent extremism and those who become involved as veterans and processes by which contemporary military members become radicalized to white supremacist and far-right violent extremist ideologies. It is clear that all branches of the military have been targeted and infiltrated by violent extremist groups and those identified here ranged in rank from private to lieutenant colonel. Forty-three percent of the sample (who could be coded on this variable) were active-duty at the time of the incident. Seventeen members of this group rose to become leaders in their groups, perhaps due to their military experience. Twelve percent had joined their groups prior to military service and 14 percent were radicalized while in the military. It was also clear that veterans with posttraumatic stress particularly are vulnerable to recruitment. Given that not only are these individuals weapons-trained, but close to half (who could be coded on this variable) also had combat experience, it is chilling that eight individuals were involved in an incident which involved actual, attempted, plotted, or threatened violence. While the overall numbers involved are small, the brutality, lethality, and widespread psychological impact of some of the plots and actions by the cases presented herein, makes clear the military has a duty to engage in military-wide prevention efforts to ensure that members are not admitted who are already radicalized into extremist violence, that members understand what is prohibited and are socialized to identify and intervene when they see violent extremism in the ranks, and that those who are identified are treated in a manner that does not cause the whistle-blower to be punished or the extremist to be released from the military prior to some rehabilitation efforts having been taken. Additionally, the results of this study emphasize the role that Veterans Affairs and non-profits dedicated to helping veterans transition into civilian life have to play in this prevention and intervention work, as well.

ICSVE Research Reports, 2023

It is clear that there is limited academic scholarship on violent extremist radicalization among ... more It is clear that there is limited academic scholarship on violent extremist radicalization among police officers, but news articles and reports by non-profit organizations abound. The present article aims to analyze this work on the aggregate, exploring and highlighting common factors which shed light on the depth and breadth of the problem. The analysis aims to fill the gap in the literature on the particular psychosocial aspects of radicalization and recruitment of active and former police officers. First, we provide a brief overview of the historical context for this problem, discussing the history of American policing and its overlap throughout history with violent extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Next, we turn to recent history, focusing on the last five years (2017-2022) of media reports on police and other law enforcement officers being involved with violent extremist groups. Within those reports, we identified four themes which are subsequently broken down in order to highlight the psychosocial features of each. These four themes are: (1) Law enforcement personnel joining and providing training to violent extremists, (2) violent extremists joining and providing training to law enforcement, (3) violent extremists perceiving law enforcement as supportive of their cause, and (4) law enforcement perceiving violent extremists as non-threatening allies.

While Western countries in particular still debate about the return of women and children detaine... more While Western countries in particular still debate about the return of women and children detained under SDF authority in camps in N.E. Syria, with many Europeans making a push to take those who now disavow ISIS home, before Turks invade the area, geopolitical forces are hard at work pushing some detainees and their supporters to escape from rather simply to survive in camps and prisons in which they are currently held. On the one side, Turkey is sabre rattling from the north preparing for another Turkish-backed invasion of NE Syria with Turkey already engaging in missile attacks aimed at assassinating the Kurdish leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) a group that fought ISIS with U.S. backing but who Turkey claims as part of the PKK terrorist group. Meanwhile, inside the camps, pro-ISIS women who have consistently had the most access to funds that arrive through informal hawala systems are busy recruiting youth taken into Syria who is now ageing into teens with small gifts and lavishing attention upon them which is then used to entice these teens to rebel against their anti-ISIS mothers, declare them apostate and ready themselves to escape to join ISIS. Young boys in the camps in the particular face growing pressure as they face the dire fate of once they reach puberty, based simply on their gender and age, being separated from their mothers in the camps and taken to SDF prisons for adolescent teens where they then can age into adult male prisons.

In recent months ICSVE has learned by monitoring pro-ISIS Telegram and social media accounts that there has been a direct and strong change in pro-ISIS support networks and crowdfunding campaigns to offer financial support to ISIS detainees held in Syria. Gone are the days, when the ISIS-linked fundraisers were only dedicated and interested in providing relief assistance for women and their children living in appalling conditions in the detention camps of northeastern Syria. Instead, their collective energies from distant geographies are now increasingly directed toward freeing individuals sympathetic to ISIS from camps and prisons in Syria, rather than helping them to survive inside the camps. A new alarming trend tied to these crowdfunding campaigns for ISIS detainees suggests that synergized international crowdfunding efforts are underway to free foreign ISIS minors from these camps in the wake of the increasing wave of repatriations and the SDF practice of removing young boys who reach adolescence from the camps to be placed in youth prisons where rehabilitation efforts are underway. With, the speedy repatriations of children from Al-Hol and Al Roj, undertaken by Belgium France and Russia Tajikistan to name only a few, in mid-July, and other countries preparing to do the same, there has been a heightened urgency on part of the ISIS-linked financial networks to work collectively, even from distant geographies, to make a list ditch effort for soliciting funds for smuggling the foreign ISIS minors out of the Al-Hol camp on a priority basis. Youth, in particular, are targeted for escapes, to take adolescent boys who are about to face prison who can instead replenish the ranks of ISIS fighters and the teen girls to come as brides for the fighters.

Homeland Security Today, 2018

This paper is based on the research interviews of 101 ISIS returnees, defectors, and ISIS prison ... more This paper is based on the research interviews of 101 ISIS returnees, defectors, and ISIS prison cadres conducted by the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE). It examines the motivations that Western women, in particular, had for " seeking jihad, " i.e. joining ISIS and al-Qaeda related violent extremist groups. Namely, it delineates ten motivations sets for joining such violent extremist groups as well as the roles women played in such violent extremist groups. Understanding the influence of the socio-political and cultural contexts in the geographic locations in which Western women were and continue to be recruited, and the gendered phenomena of ISIS recruitment, can inform thoughtful prevention efforts and result in improvement in rehabilitation and reintegration outcomes for those who return from violent extremist groups like ISIS.

Modern Diplomacy, May 6, 2015

ICSVE

ICSVE Research Reports, 2024

ICSVE Brief Reports, 2024

ICSVE Research Reports, 2024

$Research paper thumbnail of \Militant Jihadist Groups Revitalize their Crowdfunding Campaigns$

Homeland Security Today, 2024

ICSVE Brief Reports, 2023

Homeland Security Today, 2023

The Media Line, 2023

The Daily Beast, 2023

Homeland Security Today, 2023

ICSVE Research Reports, 2023

Homeland Security Today, 2018

Modern Diplomacy, May 6, 2015

The authors hadn't intended to put themselves in danger but that's what happened as they intervie... more The authors hadn't intended to put themselves in danger but that's what happened as they interviewed an unprecedented thirty-two battle-hardened defectors about the gritty details of life inside ISIS. With unparalleled breadth, depth and access, ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate offers a compelling view of ISIS from men, women and teens now in hiding, having escaped the most brutal terrorist group in recent history. They were fighters and commanders, wives of fighters-living and dead, female enforcers, and Cubs of the Caliphate, including a child who volunteered and almost got sent as a suicide bomber at age thirteen. They discuss motivations for joining and defecting, and delve into news-making topics: coercing children to become suicide bombers; brides of ISIS and the brutal female morality police; Yazidi and Sunni sex slaves held in massive compounds where fighters use them at will; privilege bestowed on foreign fighters; prisoners kept for the sole purpose of beheading by new inductees. The defectors shared a startling array of photos and videos from personal cell phones and many are included in the digital version of this book. An unexpected subplot unfolded when Dr. Yayla found himself tailed by ISIS, and Dr. Speckhard barely missed two suicide attacks. But the authors are not deterred. As counter-terrorism experts with specialties in research psychology and law enforcement, they see ISIS as more than a terrorist group. ISIS is a brand that falsely sells dignity and purpose, justice and the restoration of glory-to vulnerable recruits-masterfully recruiting some 30,000 members online. It's the biggest influx of foreign fighters to a terrorist haven in history. Using the defectors own words, the authors intend to break the ISIS brand. They have videotaped these interviews to edit them into short clips, memes and tweets for an online counter-offensive. Speckhard and Yayla state that disillusioned ISIS defectors are the most influential tool for countering ISIS propaganda. The persuasive voices of these defectors and the resulting videos will soon invade ISIS chat rooms where their propaganda thrives. With over one thousand active investigations in the U.S. across all 50 states, discrediting ISIS ideology is essential to stopping it.

Paderborn Theater in Germany has adapted the transcripts of actual ISIS defectors speaking about ... more Paderborn Theater in Germany has adapted the transcripts of actual ISIS defectors speaking about their time inside one of the most brutal and insidious terrorist groups of our time. This adaptation results from the research interviews of Anne Speckhard, Ph.D. and Ahmet S. Yayla, Ph.D. of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) reported in their new book, ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate.

„The IS guys speak with the youth about what they are doing to build an Islamic state. They tell ... more „The IS guys speak with the youth about what they are doing to build an Islamic state. They tell them, ‚If you want to work we can help you and give you money. You can be married. We are the true Islam. We guarantee you. We are brothers, no problem.'"

Sei es in Südamerika, wo die Söhne des Drogenbarons „El Chapo“ offen mit ihren vergoldeten Waffen, Frauen und Autos angeben, den USA, die den Gangsta-Rap ursprünglich hervorgebracht haben, oder Europa, wo ihn Menschen wie Denis Cuspert eifrig rezipieren: Immer geht es um Geld, Autos, Frauen sowie Waffen und Gewalt. Alles Dinge, die der IS seinen Anhängern dezidiert bietet. Dies lässt sich besonders deutlich an den Kommentaren von verschiedenen IS-Aussteigern ablesen, die Anne Speckhard und Ahmet S. Yayla in der Türkei aufgezeichnet haben.

IS-Anschluss für geregeltes Sex-Leben
Grundsätzlich ist es so, dass Daesh seine Kämpfer mit Bargeld ausstattet: 200 Dollar scheinen die reguläre Bezahlung pro Monat zu sein, womit man aktuell im Syrien wohl zu den Gutverdienenden zählt, zusätzlich gibt es Boni für erfolgreich abgeschlossene Missionen. Ein zusätzlicher Faktor ist, dass man Geschäfte jedweder Art wohl nur machen darf, wenn man zum IS dazu gehört. Folglich ist es kein Wunder, dass sich vor Ort viele dem IS anschließen, meist aber nicht, um reich zu werden, sondern um ein geregeltes Sexleben zu haben, also zu heiraten. Damit macht Daesh gezielt Werbung:

„The IS guys speak with the youth about what they are doing to build an Islamic state. They tell them, ‚If you want to work we can help you and give you money. You can be married. We are the true Islam. We guarantee you. We are brothers, no problem.'"

Dies zieht wohl viele arme Menschen aus islamischen Ländern wie der Türkei oder Tunesien an. Dem Zufall wird nichts überlassen: Eigene Eheanbahnungsinstitute des IS sind dafür zuständig, Frauen und Männer zu vermitteln. Diese Institute haben auch den Vorteil, dass so der grundsätzliche Frauenmangel optimal verwaltet werden kann. Frauen sind als Grund zum IS zu gehen so wichtig, dass der IS bemüht ist, Witwen schnell wieder für eine neue Ehe verfügbar zu machen. Mehr als 40 Tage sollte es bis zur Wiederverheiratung nicht dauern.

“Am Anfang denken alle, der IS sei gut„ Anne Speckhard über IS-Rückkehrer, die Terroranschläge fü... more “Am Anfang denken alle, der IS sei gut„
Anne Speckhard über IS-Rückkehrer, die Terroranschläge für gerechtfertigt halten, Frauen, die andere Frauen quälen – und warum sie sich Sorgen um die USA macht.

06.08.2016 | 18:16 | von Eva Winroither (Die Presse)

Nach den ersten Interviews musste Ihr Kollege Ahmet Yayla in die USA fliehen, weil der IS auf Ihre Arbeit aufmerksam wurde. Gibt es seit der Veröffentlichung des Buchs und der ersten Videos irgendwelche Reaktionen?

Anne Speckhard: Bis jetzt noch nicht. Aber im Moment sind nur zwei Videos online und noch nicht 50. Aber sie sehen sich das vermutlich an. Osama bin Laden hatte Anti-Terrorismus-Bücher meiner Kollegen im Regal. Meine Bücher waren leider nicht dabei (lacht).

http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/welt/5064551/Am-Anfang-denken-alle-der-IS-sei-gut

Wenn IS-Aussteiger berichten: “Sie sind Lügner„ Sie wollten das – in ihren Augen – Richtige tun, ... more Wenn IS-Aussteiger berichten: “Sie sind Lügner„
Sie wollten das – in ihren Augen – Richtige tun, doch dann sahen sie Folter, Mord und Vergewaltigung.In Videos erzählen IS-Aussteiger, wie das Leben in Syrien wirklich ist.

06.08.2016 | 18:16 | von Eva Winroither (Die Presse)

Ein Studio irgendwo im Süden der Türkei Ende 2015. Weiße Wände, eine Videokamera, zwei Männer. Hier werden Ahmet Yayla, Universitätsprofessor und ehemaliger Polizeichef von Şanliurfa, einer türkischen Stadt an der Grenze zu Syrien, sein Assistent Murat und Anne Speckhard, außerordentliche Professorin an der renommierten Georgetown University in den USA, Interviews durchführen. Speckhard ist nur via Skype zugeschaltet. Das Sicherheitsrisiko ist zu groß. Die beiden Professoren interviewen ehemalige IS-Anhänger. Menschen, die sich der Terrororganisation des sogenannten Islamischen Staats (IS) angeschlossen haben, bis das eine oder andere Erlebnis sie dazu brachte, sich abzuwenden.

Online-Gegenoffensive. Da gibt es Abu Walid, der erzählt, wie IS-Anhänger Unschuldige vergewaltigen und ermorden – ohne Konsequenzen. Da gibt es Ibn Ahmed, der erzählt, wie in einem Gefängnis 475 Frauen als Sexsklavinnen für ausländische Jihadisten gehalten werden. Da gibt es Ibn Omar, der als 13-Jähriger zum Selbstmordattentäter ausgebildet werden sollte. Oder einen belgischen Rückkehrer, dem Speckhard nicht glaubt, dass er dem IS abgeschworen hat. Sie alle sahen Mord, Folter, Vergewaltigung und vor allem Willkür. „Das ist kein Islamischer Staat. Sie sind Lügner“, sind Sätze, die immer wieder von ihnen zu hören sind. Was der IS in den Propagandavideos verbreite, stimme nicht. Sie müssen es wissen, sie waren dort.

Yayla und Speckhard sehen in ihren Erlebnissen eine Waffe im Kampf gegen den IS. Die Videos, die sie aufgenommen haben, werden nun von den beiden geschnitten und in den Social-Media-Kanälen der Terrororganisation verteilt. Sie sollen den Jugendlichen, die mit dem IS liebäugeln, zeigen, wie Realität und Propaganda voneinander abweichen. Dafür werden die Videos so präpariert, dass sie am Anfang wie IS-Propaganda-Filme aussehen, erst danach erscheinen die Rückkehrervideos auf dem Schirm.

Ob die Strategie funktionieren wird, hängt von der Anzahl der Videos ab, die verbreitet werden können. Die ersten Interviews haben die beiden in einem Buch (siehe Kasten) zusammengefasst. Weitere Interviews wurden in der Zwischenzeit gemacht. Ihre Arbeit ist nicht ungefährlich, Yayla musste inzwischen in die USA fliehen, weil der IS auf ihn aufmerksam geworden war. Trotzdem suchen beide weiter nach Rückkehrern. Deren Botschaften erklären keine geopolitischen Probleme, aber sie werfen ein persönliches Licht auf einen dunklen Fleck Zeitgeschichte. Sie zeigen, wie eine der größten Terrororganisationen der Welt wirklich ist.

Buch

Die ersten zwölf Interviews sind am 1. Juli in einem Buch veröffentlicht worden. „Isis Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate“, Englisch, 372 Seiten, Verlag: Advances Press

www.icsve.org

http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/welt/5064539/Wenn-ISAussteiger-berichten_Sie-sind-Lugner

THERE are some things that once seen, just can’t be unseen. A little doll, dressed in pink, lying... more THERE are some things that once seen, just can’t be unseen. A little doll, dressed in pink, lying forlornly on the road in Nice. Who owned it? Was it the person, crumpled next to it, covered by a gold sheet.

Stay united, says Dr Anne Speckhard from Georgetown University and the Director of the International Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism. Support your Muslim neighbours and communities, don’t malign them. “Remember it’s their kids who are being targeted by ISIS social media and they need to feel part of society to not resonate to those hateful messages coming across the airwaves.”

“We will see frustrated young men, may be sinners in Islamic manner, who get affected by ISIS propaganda and think of their way out from the psychological atmosphere they are in is only through terrorist attacks,” Professor Ahmet Yayla from Harran University in Turkey says. He is a former anti-terrorism chief in the Turkish National Police and is the deputy director at the International Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism.
“This is how ISIS convinces them. You are a sinner. Carry out this attack and clean your soul. The makes the law enforcement job extremely difficult as many indicators of radicalisation are not seen here which would be a tip for the law enforcement or for the people around the attacker. Therefore the attack can come from anyone in any form. It is impossible to protect a civil society in these circumstances,” Professor Yayla says.

He and Dr Anne Speckhard co-authored a recent book, interviewing 38 defectors from the IS. Several of these had pasts which were not clean and they had become IS members to cleanse themselves, commit an act of martyrdom and thus go to Heaven.
The point of terrorism is to instil fear in communities. Recent polls in Australia show that many people are in fear of falling victim to a terrorist attack. Images like the little pink doll make us fearful. Now, more than ever, it is incumbent on our political leaders to stop the fear-mongering, temper the rhetoric and help our law enforcers get on with the job of protecting us.

Apart from witnessing the Turkey-Syria terror funnel firsthand, Yayla has interviewed dozens of I... more Apart from witnessing the Turkey-Syria terror funnel firsthand, Yayla has interviewed dozens of ISIS defectors hiding in Turkey, in his capacity as deputy director of the International Center for the Study of Violence Radicalisation.
The findings of this research — conducted in collaboration with NATO and Pentagon counter-terrorism consultant, Professor Anne Speckhard of Georgetown University, a specialist in the psycho-social factors in radicalisation — have been published in their book released in July, ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate, as well as in their recent paper in the peer-reviewed Perspectives on Terrorism journal.
They draw on these interviews to explain that direct Turkish sponsorship of ISIS is an open secret within the terror network:
“Despite Erdogan’s claims that he is fighting ISIS, evidence indicates that he has been, and continues to be, deeply complicit in allowing ISIS to transport, not just recruits via Turkey, but also weapons and supplies. These chilling facts have been confirmed over and again during our ISIS defector interviews. A former emir told us that ISIS had been able to construct thousands of propane tank bombs from supplies they brought in through Turkey.”

Please see our article in the security solutions magazine Security Solutions Magazine is a leadi... more Please see our article in the security solutions magazine

Security Solutions Magazine is a leading security resource for business, government and the security industry. Through Security Solutions, readers enjoy access to information from leading experts on issues such as terrorism, operational security matters, technological developments, risk management and IT security as well as the latest news on security events.
Security Solutions Magazine is a publication from Interactive Media Solutions.
SSM is also available through Apple’s Newsstand for iPad – click here to download the application and a complimentary free issue.

Washington - Foreign jihadists hold privileged positions within the Islamic State (ISIS) as they... more Washington - Foreign jihadists hold privileged positions within the Islamic State (ISIS) as they impose cruelty and misery on Syrians who live under their rule, according to testimonies from defectors to be published this spring.

“The Westerners joining ISIS usually go because they believe in the caliphate. They’re ideologically driven. When they arrive, they become highly privileged within ISIS, and they act with impunity, and the locals don’t like them,” said Anne Speckhard.

Speckhard teaches psychology at Georgetown University and is author of several books on terrorism. She has interviewed more than 500 terror suspects from many countries and has worked with the US officials on de-radicalisation programmes in Iraq.

More recently, she and Ahmet Yayla, Turkish former chief of counterterrorism who resides in the United States, have been interviewing Syrian ISIS defectors hiding in Turkey.

An estimated two-thirds of jihadists fighting for ISIS in Syria are foreign. This figure includes Arab nationals and other non-Westerners in addition to fighters from Europe and North America. A majority of the sheikhs who conduct sharia training as well as emirs — provincial leaders who earn their positions after demonstrating unwavering loyalty to ISIS — are foreign.

Even among the women’s ranks in the hisbah (vice) police, foreigners are visible and often hold top positions. They are in charge of implementing the ISIS interpretation of sharia, even when it undermines the local economy, such as forcing women who traditionally farm to remain indoors or wear a full niqab, which makes their work difficult.

Speckhard and Yayla also identify a little publicised psychological phenomenon that helps make a terrorist.

“It’s called ‘euphoria of martyrdom’. We did a study and found that terrorists can feel very powerful, even euphoric, in the time leading up to their suicide attack,” Speckhard said, referring to interviews with terror suspects who survived or aborted their attacks. “We see the same phenomenon in people who attempt to commit suicide. It’s the brain giving endorphins when you’re in a state of extreme fear.”

WASHINGTON — IŞİD terör örgütünden kısa zaman önce kaçan militanlar, kaçma nedenlerini, radikal ... more WASHINGTON —
IŞİD terör örgütünden kısa zaman önce kaçan militanlar, kaçma nedenlerini, radikal örgütün vaat ettikleri ile yaşananların birbirini tutmaması olarak açıkladı.

Militanlar, IŞİD’in dinen kabul gören yas dönemini beklemeden dul kalmış kadınları diğer savaşçılarla yeniden evlendirmesine öfkeli olduklarını söyledi. Örgütü terk edenler ayrıca, bitmek bilmeyen infazlardan ve bazı militanların bu infazlardan aldıkları psikolojik hazlardan iğrendiklerini de sözlerine ekledi.

Amerika merkezli Uluslararası Şiddet İçeren Aşırıcılık Çalışmaları Merkezi Direktörü Anne Speckhard ve Harran Üniversitesi profesörlerinden sosyolog Ahmet Yayla, Türkiye’de saklanan on kadar IŞİD kaçağı militanla görüştüler.

When Syrian teenager Omar ran away from his family, he had no idea what was in store for him. It ... more When Syrian teenager Omar ran away from his family, he had no idea what was in store for him. It all started last year, when he was 13, and ISIS came to his hometown of Ras Al Ayn near the Turkish border.

Omar says ISIS fighters seemed like real warriors who would give him a sense of pride and purpose.

“We spent one month training in this military camp — its name was the Sheikh Abu Musab al-Zarqawi camp, and our division was the Cubs of the Caliphate,” he says.

He says military training started at 7 a.m. and went until sundown. “Then from sundown to evening prayer, that’s when we go to Sharia lessons,” he recalls.

The military trainers were brutal, handling boys as young as 7 as if they were adult military recruits. Omar says there was no play time and punishment for breaking the rules was harsh.

Soon, he discovered an even more cruel reality. He and the other boys were being trained to carry out suicide attacks. He says he made friends with boys who later died that way.

“They called us buttons,” Omar says, referring to his ISIS trainers. Pushing a button would be the last thing the boys ever did.

Celebrations and calls for more attacks to “enrage the kufrs [unbelievers]” erupted on ISIS Teleg... more Celebrations and calls for more attacks to “enrage the kufrs [unbelievers]” erupted on ISIS Telegram chat rooms (encrypted social media) just after this evening’s July 14 terrorist attack in Nice, France in which a truck driver plowed into crowds celebrating Bastille Day. At least eighty people are reported dead.

If this turns out to be an ISIS attack, it will not be the first time ISIS has called for the use of vehicles in attacks.

The International Center for the Study of Violent Terrorism, ICSVE, has obtained a sophisticated and disturbing ISIS video, produced by ISIS’ al-Hayat Media Center and pushed out during Ramadan that suggests various ways an ISIS follower can attack, including a truck bomb shown with explosives and the making of the bomb.

https://coercioncode.com/2016/07/16/america-australia-canada-targeted-just-like-nice-france-terrorist-attack/

The Islamic State released a new propaganda video just weeks before the horrific Nice terror atta... more The Islamic State released a new propaganda video just weeks before the horrific Nice terror attack. The video called for supporters to “fill your trucks with gas” while encouraging hopeful jihadists to run down people in Europe and Australia. The disturbing video showed life-like images of Islamic State terrorists filling an SUV with gas before preparing to run down people in Australia. Similarly, the video called for “lone wolf” attacks against American Christians. The call was followed by images of a suicide vest attack in New York City.
The Daily Mail reports that a disturbing propaganda video was released by the Islamic State in the weeks leading up to the Nice, France, terror attack. In the video, images of terrorists preparing to mow down a crowd with a vehicle were shown to depict a proposed attack in Australia. The terrorist organization encouraged followers to attack with vehicles and to “fill your trucks with gas.”

A screen capture from an Islamic State recruitment video. A recent release called on Australians ... more A screen capture from an Islamic State recruitment video. A recent release called on Australians to get into their cars and get a big knife.

ISLAMIC State has long called for the use of cars and trucks in terrorist attacks.

The most recent call only weeks ago, during Ramadan, came in a sophisticated video production which ordered followers to “fill your cars with gas” and specifically mentioned Australia.

The image purportedly shows a driver preparing to run over crowds in Australia.

The International Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism has obtained the video, which it describes as sophisticated and disturbing.

Released during Ramadan and produced by the ISIS media centre, the video shows images of American soldiers returned injured and the beheading of Westerners, and calls for ISIS followers to conduct attacks in their homelands.

I just uploaded 'Inside ISIS Chat Rooms: ICSVE Obtains ISIS Video Calling for Attacks with Vehicles' to @academia! https://t.co/vdvYZI1VCn

— Ahmet S Yayla (@ahmetsyayla) July 15, 2016

Both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have encouraged their followers to use whatever materials re... more Both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have encouraged their followers to use whatever materials readily accessible to them to perpetrate attacks. Earlier this month, ISIS circulated a video telling aspiring militants to “fill your cars with gas” and drive through a crowd. In 2010, al Qaeda’s magazine, Inspire, encouraged adherents that “running over them with your cars and trucks” was a worthy pursuit.

ISLAMIC State has long called for the use of cars and trucks in terrorist attacks. The most recen... more ISLAMIC State has long called for the use of cars and trucks in terrorist attacks.
The most recent call only weeks ago, during Ramadan, came in a sophisticated video production which ordered followers to “fill your cars with gas” and specifically mentioned Australia.
The image purportedly shows a driver preparing to run over crowds in Australia.
The International Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism has obtained the video, which it describes as sophisticated and disturbing.
Released during Ramadan and produced by the ISIS media centre, the video shows images of American soldiers returned injured and the beheading of Westerners, and calls for ISIS followers to conduct attacks in their homelands.

Islamic State called for the use of cars and trucks in terror attacks in Australia just weeks bef... more Islamic State called for the use of cars and trucks in terror attacks in Australia just weeks before the Nice atrocity.
A sophisticated propaganda video released by the terror group's media centre called for followers to carry out attacks with chilling depictions of massacres in Europe, the US and Australia.
The footage, examined by the International Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE), shows an ISIS militant preparing to run over a crowd in Australia, with instructions to 'fill your cars with gas.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3693163/ISIS-called-truck-attacks-Australia-weeks-Nice-atrocity.html#ixzz4Ehplm0uD
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

WHILE THE ISLAMIC STATE continues to lose territory on the ground in Iraq and Syria, the appeal o... more WHILE THE ISLAMIC STATE continues to lose territory on the ground in Iraq and Syria, the appeal of its apocalyptic ideas has proven more enduring. Since 2014, the group, also known as ISIS, has managed to attract as many as 30,000 recruits from around the world, including several thousand men and women from Europe and North America.

A significant number of these individuals are believed to have been recruited online using social media.

A new project focused on interviews with individuals who joined and later defected from ISIS might offer a way of stifling the appeal of the group. The ISIS Defectors Interview Project, conducted by the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, compiles video and written testimony from former members of the group. Between September 2015 and May 2016, Anne Speckhard, a research psychologist at Georgetown University, and Ahmet Yayla, a former counterterrorism head of the Turkish National Police, met with 32 former ISIS members who escaped the group and have since fled to Turkey.

BY HANNAH ALLAM WASHINGTON Last December, 26-year-old Mohamad Jamal Khweis told his family he w... more BY HANNAH ALLAM

WASHINGTON
Last December, 26-year-old Mohamad Jamal Khweis told his family he was setting off on a European vacation. He fell out of touch not long after his departure, but his parents didn’t worry too much – they figured he was sightseeing in London or Amsterdam.

The next time they heard of him was just after dawn on March 14, when reporters showed up on their suburban Virginia doorstep with devastating news: Khweis was in Kurdish custody in northern Iraq after fleeing the Islamic State. Khweis had promptly disavowed the group on Kurdish television, becoming the first known American to defect from the extremists’ self-proclaimed caliphate.

* Warning: Content in this segment could be disturbing, and may not be suitable content for young... more * Warning: Content in this segment could be disturbing, and may not be suitable content for younger listeners.*

Interview by "Anna Maria Tremonti"

Life inside the so-called Caliphate is virtually a black hole. Very little is understood about what life is like for the estimated 8-million or so people living in the so-called Islamic State.

The jihadist group currently controls an area of land the size of Great Britain.

Voices from the inside, just don't make it out. But that's changing now. In recent months, researchers have been tracking down ISIS defectors, and – very carefully – conducting interviews with them.

"They just got really sick of it and said 'This is not Islamic, this is not what we were taught, and I don't want anything to do with it."
- Anne Speckhard explains why defectors escaped ISIS
The researchers are with a group called the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism – or the ICSVE. Their director is Anne Speckhard, who teaches psychiatry at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She has studied these interviews together with Dr. Ahmet Yayla of Harran University in Turkey.

Little is known about ISIS’ rule in Syria and Iraq and even less about its internal organizationa... more Little is known about ISIS’ rule in Syria and Iraq and even less about its internal organizational dealings. In ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate, Dr. Anne Speckhard and Dr. Ahmet S. Yayla provide an unparalleled examination of the internal workings of the group through 32 interviews with ISIS defectors. The defectors were fighters and commanders, wives of fighters—living and dead, female enforcers, and Cubs of the Caliphate, including a child who volunteered and almost got sent as a suicide bomber at age thirteen. They discuss motivations for joining and defecting, and delve into news-making topics: coercing children to become suicide bombers; brides of ISIS and the brutal female morality police; Yazidi and Sunni sex slaves held in massive compounds where fighters use them at will; privilege bestowed on foreign fighters; prisoners kept for the sole purpose of beheading by new inductees.

Follow the discussion online using #ISISDefectors following @NewAmericaISP.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase by credit card.

Participants:

Dr. Anne Speckhard
Director, International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE)
Co-Author, ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate
@AnneSpeckhard

Dr. Ahmet Yayla
Deputy Director, International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE)
Co-Author, ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate
@ahmetsyayla
Moderator:

Peter Bergen
Vice President, New America
@peterbergencnn

Recruiting for Jihad: The Allure of ISIS The Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Insti... more Recruiting for Jihad: The Allure of ISIS

The Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Conflict Management Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) are pleased to welcome Charles Lister, Ahmet Sait Yayla, and Anne Speckhard in a discussion about why people take up arms with the Islamic State (ISIS). Its declaration of a caliphate and its glorification of violence in pursuit of its aims have drawn adherents across the socioeconomic spectrum, from the United States and Europe to the Islamic world. Who are the people being recruited as ISIS militants, and why do they join? This expert panel will examine the allure of ISIS in Europe, Turkey, and the Arab world and effective strategies to stem its growth. Daniel Serwer will moderate the discussion. Unfortunately, there will be no lunch provided at this event.

In a new report, Dr. Anne Speckhard and Ahmet Yayla from the International Center for the Study o... more In a new report, Dr. Anne Speckhard and Ahmet Yayla from the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism suggested that the attacker likely talks Russian as he came from Central Asian country and probably has ties with the Caucasus Islamic Province. This extremist province includes members from Chechnya and Dagestan who have long experience from their fighting against the Russians.

During interviews with members who separated from ISIS, many of them talked the organization’s recruitment of high-qualified members from Chechnya. Omar al-Shishani, who was recently killed, was a Georgian Chechen jihadist who served as a commander for ISIS in Syria, and previously as a sergeant in the Georgian Army.

Schauspielkritik Von Staaten, Menschen und Störgeräuschen von Jan Fischer Katharina Kreuzhage: Z... more Schauspielkritik

Von Staaten, Menschen und Störgeräuschen
von Jan Fischer
Katharina Kreuzhage: Zwang des Materials
Premiere: 16.09.2016 (Uraufführung)
Theater Paderborn
Homepage: http://www.theater-paderborn.de

Regie: Katharina Kreuzhage
Vorlage: Anne Speckhard und Ahmet S. Yayla: ISIS Defectors: Inside Stories of the Terrorist Caliphate

Allein der der Versuch ist Wahnsinn. Vier Menschen in Brautkleidern-drei Männer, eine Frau-stehen auf der Bühne in Paderborn. " Ich trage ein Brautkleid, weil ich verdammt nochmal die Freiheit dazu habe " , sagt einer der Männer irgendwann zwischendrin und steigert sich in eine Rede über Pluralismus und Demokratie, für die es Szenenapplaus gibt. Aber erst ist da das Märchen vom Schäfer, der mit dem Erdöl in seinem Brunnen nichts anzufangen weiß und ihn zu einem Spottpreis an einen Touristen verkauft, der damit reich wird, was zu blutigen Auseinandersetzungen führt. Erst ist da auch die Geschichte des 13-jährigen Jungen, der sich dem " Islamischen Staat " anschließt, weil er seine Familie anders nicht ernähren kann, und Jahre später bei einem Drohnenangriff der US-amerikanischen Armee stirbt. Die Geschichte des 11-jährigen Jungen, der nur deshalb kein Selbstmordattentäter wird, weil sein Vater ihn rechtzeitig in die Türkei schafft. Mal erzählen die vier am Mikro, machmal ohne, mal zieht sich einer eine Burka an, mal orangfarbene Häftlingsanzüge, mal werden die Geschichten von sirenenartigen Störgeräuschen unterbrochen, mal perlen sie übereinander, mal werden sie leise und ruhig

Paderborn, 16.September 2016. Der Vorhang hebt sich und allein auf der dunklen Bühne sitzt ein Ma... more Paderborn, 16.September 2016. Der Vorhang hebt sich und allein auf der dunklen Bühne sitzt ein Mann im Brautkleid (Denis Wiencke). Er erzählt ein Märchen vom Touristen, der mit seiner Gier nach Erdöl den Konikt in Irak und Syrien auslöst. Die Kriegsgenese des Islamischen Staates als Parabel sich gegenseitig bekriegender Bauern, Schäfer und Fischer, erzählt vom Märchenonkel im Hochzeitsplüsch. Der IS, mächtigstes Terrornetzwerk mit starker Medienpräsenz, würde sich so niemals inszenieren. Das Theater verrückt die gängigen Bilder, und Intendantin Katharina Kreuzhage landet damit gleich zu Beginn einen ersten Coup, eine Ohrfeige gegen die totalitäre islamistische Genderdoktrin. Innenansichten aus dem Terror-Kalifat Es ist nicht leicht, den IS eektvoll und gegen die Klischees auf die Bühne zu bringen, weshalb die fast schon spröde Inszenierung der weitgehend im Dunkeln gehaltenen Bühne (Ariane Scherpf) als Garderobenraum mit fünf in der Reihe gestellten Stühlen, auf der die insgesamt vier Schauspieler (neben Wiencke noch Lars Fabian, Claudia Sutter und Stephan Weigelin) Platz nehmen und zwischendurch wie in der Reise nach Jerusalem umherjagen, das Dilemma gut löst. Der im linken Bühnenhintergrund platzierte Glaskasten fungiert abwechselnd als Wohnzimmer mit geblümten Tapeten, als Kommandozentrale, als Rückzugsort, Gefängnis, als Waen-und Umkleidekammer. Es ist ein inszenierter Blick ins Herz der Finsternis, ins Innere des Terrornetzwerks.

In the midst of global health and economic crises, more immigration than ever before, and continu... more In the midst of global health and economic crises, more immigration than ever before, and continually updating technology, it is critical that security professionals are prepared for the coming changes in the world of radicalization, recruitment, and terrorist activity more generally. The present study examines the testimony of 261 ISIS defectors, returnees, and imprisoned cadres as well as 16 far right/white supremacists, focusing particularly on six Canadians’ trajectories into and back out of ISIS (n=3) and white supremacist violent extremism (n=3). The article delves into the increasing risk of radicalization and recruitment occurring solely online, the exponential growth of far right and white supremacist violent extremism, as well as ISIS’s plans for resurgence since the fall of the territorial Caliphate and how COVID-19 has contributed to the future of both militant jihadist terrorism and violent extremism in general. Although neither sample of the 261 ISIS interviews or 16 far right/white supremacist interviews should be considered representative by any means, it is notable that, of the four ISIS members who were living in Canada at the time they joined ISIS (one Canadian citizen was a dual citizen who lived in the United Kingdom and another’s testimony will not be included in this article due to privacy concerns), three were influenced by or recruited over the Internet, and one was recruited solely over the Internet. Of the far right/white supremacist interviews, internet recruitment was mentioned but less salient, probably because the time period of recruitment was pre-social media. Moreover, in contrast to other Western-born ISIS members who cited discrimination at home as a motivation to join ISIS, none of the Canadian members said that they experienced any meaningful discrimination in Canada. Rather, they were motivated more so by a desire to feel personally significant (n=3) and to help the Syrian civilians suffering under the Assad regime (n=3). This article explores how personal narratives, in addition to quantitative data, can inform effective terrorism deterrence in Canada.

ICSVE , 2024

This is Session One of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police ... more This is Session One of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police Prevention of Extremist Infiltration in Communities

ICSVE

This is Session Six of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police ... more This is Session Six of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police Prevention of Extremist Infiltration in Communities

ICSVE

This is Session Five of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police... more This is Session Five of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police Prevention of Extremist Infiltration in Communities

ICSVE

This is Session Three of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Polic... more This is Session Three of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police Prevention of Extremist Infiltration in Communities

ICSVE

This is Session Two of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police ... more This is Session Two of a six part ICSVE U.S. Department of Homeland Security Training for Police Prevention of Extremist Infiltration in Communities