Domestic Terrorism Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Disgruntled students may become motivated to carry out ricin attacks on University of California campuses. The poison has already been discovered on several US campuses, signaling that it is easy to obtain, and increased tensions between... more

Disgruntled students may become motivated to carry out ricin attacks on University of California campuses. The poison has already been discovered on several US campuses, signaling that it is easy to obtain, and increased tensions between students and school administrators, as well as the proliferation of jihadist propaganda online, indicate a growing threat of its use in universities. Options should be explored to mitigate this risk.

Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, stereotypes that associate Muslims with terrorism go far beyond depictions in newspapers and television. Recent research raises the alarm about rampant Islamophobia in digital spaces, particularly... more

Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, stereotypes that associate Muslims with terrorism go far beyond depictions in newspapers and television. Recent research raises the alarm about rampant Islamophobia in digital spaces, particularly far-right groups’ use of disinformation and other manipulation tactics to vilify Muslims and their faith.

Academic explorations of anti-authority movements are virtually non-existent in Canada. We have no reliable primary data or empirical insights into Freemen-on-the-Land (FOTL) or other similar contingents. What we do know comes largely... more

Academic explorations of anti-authority movements are virtually non-existent in Canada. We have no reliable primary data or empirical insights into Freemen-on-the-Land (FOTL) or other similar contingents. What we do know comes largely from Associate Chief Justice Rooke’s decision in Meads v. Meads (2012). He refers to the loose collection of individuals and small cells as “vexatious litigants.” In the absence of any academic assessment of these movements, we embarked on a one-year pilot project, bringing an exploratory and multi-method approach to this first such study, grounded in interviews with law enforcement, lawyers, judges, notaries, and movement adherents (n = 32), along with analysis of open source data which included media reports, court documents, and movement websites.

This paper is written from a Red Team perspective creating a fictional terrorist group (The Gay Liberation Front) from the ground up. It covers the ideology, public affairs, financing, recruitment, training, operations, internal security,... more

This paper is written from a Red Team perspective creating a fictional terrorist group (The Gay Liberation Front) from the ground up. It covers the ideology, public affairs, financing, recruitment, training, operations, internal security, communications, and the development of a proposed fictional terrorist operation. It must be stressed that the entirety of this project is written as a thought experiment to design the "perfect" terrorist group in order to better understand how actual groups operate. Through this understanding, we can better interdict these groups and increase overall global security.

Military-trained gang members (MTGMs) have been identified in every wartime period for the United States—from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts. MTGMs in the military threaten the cohesiveness of military units and undermine... more

Military-trained gang members (MTGMs) have been identified in every wartime period for the United States—from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts. MTGMs in the military threaten the cohesiveness of military units and undermine the authority of military leadership. They use the military to further their criminal organization's goals, whether distributing illicit drugs and weapons or recruiting like-minded service members. They are a clear threat to military discipline, bringing corrupt influences, an increase in criminal activity, and a threat to military family members on military installations. They also serve to depreciate the perceived value of the military installation in the civilian community. For communities adjacent to military installations, MTGMs add a level of dangerousness to the criminal community with their warfighter training. They also share the ability to remain undetected by law enforcement or members of the community, which allows their organization to thrive and grow unchecked. It is important to note that when we talk about military-trained gang members, we typically mean not only street gang members but also members of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) and Domestic Terrorist Extremist (DTE) groups (Smith, 2017).

In an early exploration of the evolution of group violence in its most common form, John Sullivan found the beginning indicators of Third Generation (3GEN) Gangs, which pose a significant threat to the safety, security, and future of our... more

In an early exploration of the evolution of group violence in its most common form, John Sullivan found the beginning indicators of Third Generation (3GEN) Gangs, which pose a significant threat to the safety, security, and future of our communities. 3GEN gangs are highly sophisticated, with goals of political power or financial acquisition. First generation gangs are those considered primarily turf gangs. Some turf gangs evolve into drug gangs or entrepreneurial organizations with a market-orientation, thus filling the second generation. Gangs in the third generation include those with a mix of political and mercenary elements who operate or are at least capable of operating in the global community.
Military-trained gang members (MTGMs) have been identified in every wartime period for the United States, and active duty MTGMs threaten the cohesiveness of military units and undermine the authority of military leadership, using the military to further their criminal organization’s goals. They are a clear threat to military discipline, bringing corrupt influences, an increase in criminal activity, and a threat to military family members on military installations.

Stressing that the pronoun "I" picks out one and only one person in the world (i.e., me), I argue against Hunt (and other like-minded Rand commentators) that the supposed "hard case" of destructive people who do not care for their own... more

Stressing that the pronoun "I" picks out one and only one person in the world (i.e., me), I argue against Hunt (and other like-minded Rand commentators) that the supposed "hard case" of destructive people who do not care for their own lives poses no special difficulty for rational egoism. I conclude that the proper response to a terse objection like "What about suicide bombers?" is the equally terse assertion "But I don't want to get blown up."

This article addresses the problem of international law enforcement within the War on Cyberterrorism. Hybrid conflicts have replaced the traditional ones, and new threats have emerged in cyberspace, which has become a virtual battlefield.... more

This article addresses the problem of international law enforcement within the War on Cyberterrorism. Hybrid conflicts have replaced the traditional ones, and new threats have emerged in cyberspace, which has become a virtual battlefield. Cyber threats-cybercrimes, cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare-are a major concern for Western governments, especially for the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The international community has begun to consider cyberattacks as a form of terrorism, to which the same measures apply. Because the term "terrorism" is ambiguous and legaly undefined, there is no consensus on a definition of the derivative term "cyberterrorism", which is left to the unilateral interpretations of states. Pretending to consider the cyberspace domain as traditional domains, and claiming to apply IHL for the sole purpose of lawfully using armed forces in contrast to cyberterrorism is a stretch. This paper addresses the question of whether or not current laws of war and international humanitarian law apply to cyber domain, and gives some recommendations on how to tackle this issue.

A critical evaluation of issues arising from domestic terrorism and its effects on the national security of Nigeria.

Hasina in her very first question-answer session in the ninth parliament on January 28, 2009, unequivocally stated that “whenever action is taken against militants, it is described as an attack on Islam. But it is not right. The militants... more

Hasina in her very first question-answer session in the ninth parliament on January 28, 2009, unequivocally stated that “whenever action is taken against militants, it is described as an attack on Islam. But it is not right. The militants have no religion and operate beyond boundaries. Tough actions must be taken against militants as they act against humanity and religion.” Her firm approach has continued to date. Consequently, it is expected that the recent surge in acts of terrorism will not last; normalcy will be restored sooner rather than later so long as the Government avoids a lackadaisical approach. On the contrary, any compromise at this juncture will prove detrimental to Bangladesh’s long-term security environment.

“Rivoluzionario professionista” convertito all’Islam, Carlos ha dedicato la sua vita combattendo “per la liberazione del mondo dallo sfruttamento imperialista e della Palestina dall’occupazione sionista”. Le armi gli “sono state imposte... more

“Rivoluzionario professionista” convertito all’Islam, Carlos ha dedicato la sua vita combattendo “per la liberazione del mondo dallo sfruttamento imperialista e della Palestina dall’occupazione sionista”. Le armi gli “sono state imposte dalle circostanze, determinate dalla violenza stessa del nemico”, e il “terrorismo” è una fatalità imposta “dal rapporto di forze cui nessun resistente, musulmano o meno, può sfuggire, poiché è di fronte a un nemico potentissimo, senza freni né limiti in arroganza e ambizione di conquista”. Il terrorismo “è l’arma dei poveri”, “un’arma di prima scelta per ristabilire una parvenza di equilibrio contro la sproporzione dei mezzi di informazione, il cui monopolio assoluto è del nemico”, ovvero degli americani. In questo libro autobiografico commentato da Marco Marsili, Ilič Ramírez Sánchez ricostruisce le tappe della carriera che ne ha fatto il terrorista più famoso e ricercato nel mondo, dai primi attentati degli anni ‘70, all’amicizia con Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein e Mùammar Gheddafi, fino all’arresto avvenuto in Sudan nel ’94. Carlos svela la verità sugli attentati dell’11 settembre, e spiega, con una lucida analisi, la strategia statunitense della “guerra preventiva”, motivata dalla necessità di mantenere il controllo sul prezzo del petrolio, scambiato sui mercati internazionali in dollari. Una feroce critica ai media occidentali, al capitalismo, al consumismo, all’Onu, e alla sinistra occidentale, accusata di essersi adagiata “sugli allori della borghesia convertendosi al liberalismo californiano”.

The Boko Haram terrorist group’s philosophy and activities have been subjected to different interpretations among the Nigerian populace. Such interpretations follow traditional lines of ethnic, regional, cultural, and religious cleavages... more

The Boko Haram terrorist group’s philosophy and activities have been subjected to different interpretations among the Nigerian populace. Such interpretations follow traditional lines of ethnic, regional, cultural, and religious cleavages in Nigeria. Some perceive it as war by Muslims against Christians, some as a sponsored conspiracy against the Muslim North, and others interpret it as the Northern war against the emergence of President Jonathan from the south-south geopolitical zone. A few regard it as a generic name for criminal gangs in Northern Nigeria. While overwhelming opinions in the south tilt toward a scorched-earth policy to counter Boko Haram, much of the north favors dialogue. One of the implications of these responses is the widening of already existing cleavages in Nigerian society, thereby further undermining efforts at building unity and coexistence among Nigeria’s varying
nationalities.

Cases of domestic terrorism have increased in the last few years. Although executed in often remote locations worldwide, they share a lot of resemblances, the most striking ones of which have resulted in their recent gamified character as... more

Cases of domestic terrorism have increased in the last few years. Although executed in often remote locations worldwide, they share a lot of resemblances, the most striking ones of which have resulted in their recent gamified character as seen in achievement systems and first-person shooter esthetics. This chapter is an attempt to understand the so-called "gamification of terror" by looking for answers not in videogames per se but in their capacity to build communities, however destructive they might turn. The authors propose to see gamified acts of terror as dark rituals "played out" in liminal spaces to argue with the anthropologist Victor Turner.

The present study is a qualitative examination of in-depth interviews of a sample of 32 current and former members of far right and white supremacist groups in the United States, Canada, and Germany examining their vulnerabilities and... more

The present study is a qualitative examination of in-depth interviews of a sample of 32 current and former members of far right and white supremacist groups in the United States, Canada, and Germany examining their vulnerabilities and motivations for joining, experiences inside and trajectories for disillusionment and exiting including deradicalization and disengagement.

Canadian concern with the domestic threat of religious terrorism came of age with the arrest of the members of the Toronto 18 in 2006. This chapter seeks to increase our understanding of this case by placing it in comparative perspective... more

Canadian concern with the domestic threat of religious terrorism came of age with the arrest of the members of the Toronto 18 in 2006. This chapter seeks to increase our understanding of this case by placing it in comparative perspective in three ways. First, by arguing that the Toronto 18 represents one of the purest instances of so-called "homegrown terrorism." Second, by comparing the data available on the ten adults convicted with the data available on similar terrorists in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings are examined for age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, occupations, criminality, mental health, and family and religious background. Third, insights from two recent and comprehensive theories of the process of radicalization, Lorne Dawson's "social ecology model" and Arie Kruglanski et al.'s "3 N model" are used to make better sense of what happened and why. In the end, however, much remains unclear because we still lack the appropriate data.

In this exchange in International Security, I contest Barbara Walter's thesis that groups like ISIS benefit from being super extreme. I argue that extremism is counterproductive -- a point developed in far greater detail in my book, Rules... more

In this exchange in International Security, I contest Barbara Walter's thesis that groups like ISIS benefit from being super extreme. I argue that extremism is counterproductive -- a point developed in far greater detail in my book, Rules for Rebels, which comes out in fall 2018.

Dreams about 9/11 -- Paper presented at the 19th Annual International Conference for The International Association for the Study of Dreams, Tufts University, Medford, Boston, Massachusetts; 05/2002 An analysis of trauma dreams collected... more

Dreams about 9/11 -- Paper presented at the 19th Annual International Conference for The International Association for the Study of Dreams, Tufts University, Medford, Boston, Massachusetts; 05/2002
An analysis of trauma dreams collected after 9/11

The identification process for Domestic Extremists requires considering many indicators. Recently released research indicates examining the mix of behavioral indicators such as personal connections, ideology, travel, and training may... more

The identification process for Domestic Extremists requires considering many indicators. Recently released research indicates examining the mix of behavioral indicators such as personal connections, ideology, travel, and training may prove beneficial in determining the existence of an individual’s extremist views. The presentation suggests using these indicators not as a checklist but as a type of scale to help analysts determine priorities for research and investigation as resources become available.

The basis of this thought paper is to identify and define the media’s role in the politicization of intelligence as it pertains to national security, specifically in the United States. The work will delve into the complex problem of... more

The basis of this thought paper is to identify and define the media’s role in the politicization of intelligence as it pertains to national security, specifically in the United States. The work will delve into the complex problem of politicization and how the media influences it through its innumerable formats and persistent presence, guiding public opinion and the pressure it places on policymakers. The thought paper examines this issue through the research of respected scholarly articles and repeatable publications. The work offer’s a scant solution, but the nature of the problem makes it a complicated issue with systemic ambiguity, well beyond the scope of this work, explicitly germane to the intelligence cycle and its triumvirate of the collector, analysis, and policymaker relationships.

A critical question in counterterrorism studies concerns the extent to which governments adequately balance the continual provision of individual rights and freedoms with the appropriate level of national security when faced with a... more

A critical question in counterterrorism studies concerns the extent to which governments adequately balance the continual provision of individual rights and freedoms with the appropriate level of national security when faced with a terrorist attack. We experimentally assess this tradeoff utilizing a 2 × 2 × 2 between-groups factorial design, manipulating (a) the extent of terror-related threats, (b) the level of invasiveness of subsequent counterterrorism policies, as well as (c) the terror context: transnational and domestic. The results provide evidence that the public is more willing to accept greater reductions in civil liberties under a greater threat of terrorism only when the perceived effectiveness of those policies to prevent future acts of terrorism is high. Furthermore, we find these results to be specific to the context of a transnational terror threat. This suggests that the public will be unwilling to accept reductions in civil liberties when the source of the attack is domestic, regardless of the level of threat or how effective subsequent policies may be in preventing future attacks.

The performed cross-national tests with negative binomial regression models support the presence of a curvilinear relationship between the quantitative expansion of education (measured with mean years of schooling) and terrorist attack... more

The performed cross-national tests with negative binomial regression models support the presence of a curvilinear relationship between the quantitative expansion of education (measured with mean years of schooling) and terrorist attack intensity. Growth of schooling in the least educationally developed countries is associated with a significant ten- dency towards the growth of terrorist attack intensity. This tendency remains significant when controlled for income level, type of political regime, unemployment, inequality, and urbanization; wherein the peak of the terrorist attack intensity is observed for a relatively low, but not zero level of the quantitative expansion of formal education (approximately three to six years of schooling). Further growth of schooling in more developed countries is associated with a significant trend toward the decrease of terrorist attack intensity. This tendency remains significant after being controlled for income level, political regime, unemployment, inequality, and urbanization. The most radical decrease is observed for the interval between seven and eight mean years of schooling. In addi- tion, this quantitative analysis indicates the presence of a similar curvi- linear relationship between GDP per capita and terrorist attack intensity with a wide peak from 4000to4000 to 4000to14,000. The explanation of a curvilinear relationship between GDP per capita and terrorist activity through mean years of schooling intermediary can only be partial. The regression ana- lysis suggests that the growth of mean years of schooling with economic development of middle and high income countries may really be one of the factors accounting for the decrease of terrorist attacks in countries with GDP per capita growth. However, this regression analysis indicates that a partial role in the explanation of negative correlation between GDP per capita and terrorist attack intensity for middle and high income countries is also played by a lower level of unemployment rate in the high income countries, as well as by a very high share of consolidated democracies and an extremely low share of factional democracies among the high income states. It is especially worth noting that after the intro- duction of all controls, the coefficient sign for per capita GDP changes from negative to positive, i.e., GDP growth in middle and high income countries after the introduction of controls for inequality, education, unemployment, type of regime, etc. turns out to be a factor of increase rather than decline of the intensity of terrorist activity. On the one hand, this suggests that the negative correlation between per capita GDP and the level of terrorist activity in these countries is actually explained to an extremely high degree by the fact that per capita GDP growth here tends to be accompanied by an increase in the educational level of the popula- tion, a decrease in unemployment, a reduction in inequality, a decrease in the number of factional democracies, and an increase in the number of consolidated democracies. On the other hand, the positive sign (with a statistically significant correlation) indicates here that if in the middle and high countries economic growth is not accompanied by an increase in economic equality and education of the population, a decrease in unemployment, a decrease in the number of unstable factional democ- racies, and an increase in the number of consolidated democracies (that is, if in fact all the fruits of economic growth are captured by the elites, and almost nothing gets from this growth to the commoner population), then such economic growth would tend to lead to an increase in terrorist activity (and not to its reduction).

The purpose of this research is to examine how domestic extremist groups utilize social media platforms to advance their extremist ideologies. Domestic extremist groups have continued to grow at a high rate as they have transitioned their... more

The purpose of this research is to examine how domestic extremist groups utilize social media platforms to advance their extremist ideologies. Domestic extremist groups have continued to grow at a high rate as they have transitioned their operations to cyberspace. Social media platforms have proven to be an effective tool in the increase of the radicalization and recruitment of domestic extremists. Cyberspace has allowed extremists to promote and distribute propaganda, as well as advance their ideologies through online forums and chatrooms. Since extremists have successfully infiltrated and utilized online platforms, agencies are struggling to identify and manage extremist activities. Results from this research show agencies are not well equipped and are lacking the policies and procedures needed to successfully combat domestic terrorists. There is no black and white definition of domestic terrorism, no defined laws for prosecution, and little understanding of the posed threats the United States face today from domestic terrorists. From this research we can conclude as domestic terrorism continues to evolve the United States efforts to combatting these threats must evolve too.

The materials necessary to construct a radiological weapon are insufficiently secure. Islamic State has reportedly acquired radioactive materials in Iraq and may seize more elsewhere (if it has not done so already). Despite their limited... more

The materials necessary to construct a radiological weapon are insufficiently secure. Islamic State has reportedly acquired radioactive materials in Iraq and may seize more elsewhere (if it has not done so already). Despite their limited scope, radiological attacks are appealing to Islamic State because 1) they demonstrate advanced technological capability and 2) access to contaminated areas may be restricted for years. Belgium’s lax security procedures are especially worrisome.

ISIS recruits on a 24/7 basis in over 21 languages over the Internet using videos, memes, tweets and other social media postings and swarming in on anyone that retweets, likes or endorses their materials to try to seduce them into the... more

ISIS recruits on a 24/7 basis in over 21 languages over the Internet using videos, memes, tweets and other social media postings and swarming in on anyone that retweets, likes or endorses their materials to try to seduce them into the group. Their unprecedented social media drive has resulted in over 30,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries migrating to Syria and Iraq. ISIS recruitment in the U.S. is for the most part Internet based and has resulted in the actual and attempted recruitment of over 100 individuals residing in the U.S. with over 200 Americans traveling to Syria to join terrorist groups. To date very little counter-narrative material exists and most of it is cognitive versus emotionally impactful. The International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) Breaking the ISIS Brand – the ISIS Defectors Interviews Project has managed to collect 43 ISIS defector interviews and thus far produce two video clips of ISIS defectors denouncing the group which were focus tested in this research in a small normative college student sample of 75 undergraduate students. The results demonstrate that American college students find the videos authentic, disturbing and turn them away from ISIS, fulfilling the goals that the project is aiming for in producing counter-narrative materials.

The El Paso County sheriff’s office defines an active shooter as “An active shooter is an armed person who has used deadly physical force another persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims.” The... more

The El Paso County sheriff’s office defines an active shooter as “An active shooter is an armed person who has used deadly physical force another persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims.” The strange this is that the usual procedure of cordon and waiting for backup does not work real well due to the shooter at times due to that they have no desire to escape, and will continue injuring and killing innocents the longer they are allowed. At times the shooter is even better equipped that the police, making them an even more dangerous foe.

A presente pesquisa tem por escopo realizar uma análise crítica do regramento da Lei Antiterrorismo (n. 13.260/2016), partindo da observação de que seus dispositivos refletem preceitos da teoria do Direito Penal do Inimigo, tais como... more

A presente pesquisa tem por escopo realizar uma análise crítica do regramento da Lei Antiterrorismo (n. 13.260/2016), partindo da observação de que seus dispositivos refletem preceitos da teoria do Direito Penal do Inimigo, tais como condutas de perigo abstrato, punição de atos preparatórios e flagrante flexibilização de direitos e garantias fundamentais. Busca-se, através do procedimento metodológico hermenêutico, com abordagem qualitativa, realizar uma pesquisa exploratória que atravesse a lógica simbólica e arbitrária de se eleger um inimigo circunstancial dentro de um sistema democrático e as imbricações que originam da racionalidade de exceção que, quando tomada como regra, serve como um exercício de controle social permanente. A instrumentalização da lei penal macula o regime democrático e passa a cultivar elementos totalitários que ganham corpo e avançam livremente na esfera do indivíduo.

This course is designed to utilize a collaborative, team-based approach to learning within the social sciences, based in Criminology, Terrorism Studies, Security Studies and Law. The focus will be developing the findings, analysis, and... more

This course is designed to utilize a collaborative, team-based approach to learning within the social sciences, based in Criminology, Terrorism Studies, Security Studies and Law. The focus will be developing the findings, analysis, and external reporting for the Prosecution Project (tPP), a multi-year research initiative begun at Miami University which seeks to understand the relationship between political violence, prosecutorial strategy, and criminal sentencing. Project teams will engage in advanced analysis with the goal of generating findings regarding more than 2,000 felony criminal prosecutions occurring in the US, 1990-2018.

This research explores the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of deterrence theory with respect to military and law enforcement counter-terrorism initiatives and compares it to legitimacy theory with respect to causal counter-terrorism... more

This research explores the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of deterrence theory with respect to military and law enforcement counter-terrorism initiatives and compares it to legitimacy theory with respect to causal counter-terrorism initiatives. The researcher defines the concepts of deterrence and legitimacy in the counterterrorism context and discusses their applicability to law enforcement and military counter-terrorism models. In further examining counter-terrorism practices, the researcher discusses ho w the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights ushered in a new age of counter-terrorism initiatives, a new way of looking at terrorism, and a new tool kit of vertical responses to the threat of terrorism. P articular attention is given to how the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights altered counter-terrorism activity during the second stage of modern terrorism from the first stage, and the effects of this app roach during the third stage of counter-terrorism. Finally, the researcher describes the different types of terrorist groups, their interaction with other groups, and provides examples of each while explaining how classification of terrorist organizations and groups helps to provide insights into methods of combating terrorism.