Terrorism continues to be one of the 21st century’s leading security challenges. The 2001 attacks on the United States, the “war on terrorism” that was launched in their wake, and the rise of... Show moreTerrorism continues to be one of the 21st century’s leading security challenges. The 2001 attacks on the United States, the “war on terrorism” that was launched in their wake, and the rise of deadly terrorist groups such as the so-called “Islamic State,” have ensured that this form of political violence has demanded ongoing attention. Not just from the politicians, policymakers, and practitioners tasked with addressing the threat, but also from journalists think tanks and academics looking to understand the issues at stake. Yet for all the attention that terrorism has garnered, those looking to conduct research on this topic face several well-entrenched conceptual, theoretical, and methodological hurdles. Based on my own experience, this case study provides guidance on navigating these obstacles and provides pointers for carrying out qualitative research on terrorism, specifically with regard to acquiring primary sources. Show less
This article presents an in-depth evaluation of a specialized reintegration initiative within the Dutch Probation Service focused on individuals convicted or suspected of involvement in terrorism.... Show moreThis article presents an in-depth evaluation of a specialized reintegration initiative within the Dutch Probation Service focused on individuals convicted or suspected of involvement in terrorism. Using 72 interviews with program staff as well as several of their clients, the authors assess the initiative’s program theory, its day-to-day implementation and provide a qualified assessment of its overall effectiveness in the 2016 to 2018 period. The results suggest that the initiative is based on a sound understanding of how and why individuals may deradicalize or disengage from terrorism behaviorally, but that it continues to face serious challenges in terms of accurately defining success and systematically gathering objective indicators of its attainment. As terrorism remains a key challenge for societies across the globe, the relevance of these findings extends beyond the Netherlands to all academics, policymakers and practitioners working to design, implement and assess terrorist reintegration programs. Show less
Social media offer unprecedented opportunities to terrorist groups to spread their message and target specific audiences for indoctrination and recruitment. In 2013 and 2014, social media, in... Show moreSocial media offer unprecedented opportunities to terrorist groups to spread their message and target specific audiences for indoctrination and recruitment. In 2013 and 2014, social media, in particular Twitter, overtook Internet forums as preferred space for jihadist propaganda. This article looks into Arabic statements by Jabhat al-Nusra, Islamic State and jihadist forum administrators and online activists to argue that, beside the easier use of social media and disruption and infiltration of the forums, the conflict between the jihadist groups accelerated the migration to social media and the building of a presence on Twitter that provided relative resilience to suspensions. Show less
In June 2018 Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, was killed in a drone strike. This attack can be seen as part of a decapitation strategy, which is frequently used by... Show moreIn June 2018 Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, was killed in a drone strike. This attack can be seen as part of a decapitation strategy, which is frequently used by states. Often being perceived as a symbol of their organisation, jihadist terrorist leaders take important positions in their groups and beyond. It is therefore not surprising that counter-terrorism strategies often target the leadership of terrorist organisations. However, open source data provide only limited information on these leaders and what sets them apart from other members of their organisation. This Research Note brings together the fragmented information on 66 jihadist terrorist leaders in a new dataset, suggesting the existence of a set of common characteristics of jihadist terrorist leaders. Furthermore, when comparing leaders and followers, this study argues that, on the one hand they differ from them when it comes to religious background and criminal records. On the other hand, they are quite similar when it comes to characteristics such as education and socio-economic backgrounds. The most important finding, however, is that leaders tend to have substantial battlefield experience. Many of them have fought in Afghanistan. This suggests that Syria may become (or perhaps already has become) the breeding ground for a new generation of jihadist terrorist leaders. Show less
A central issue with many interpretations of radicalization remains their tendency to overemphasize the role of extremist beliefs in motivating involvement in terrorism. A er elaborating on... Show moreA central issue with many interpretations of radicalization remains their tendency to overemphasize the role of extremist beliefs in motivating involvement in terrorism. A er elaborating on this critique, the authors propose that ‘fanaticism’, a concept developed by Taylor in the early 1990s, o ers a way of overcoming this de ciency in radicalization-based approaches through its conditional understanding of when radical beliefs can lead to violent behavior. Primary-sources driven empirical analysis supports both the critique of radicalization and the discussion of fanaticism’s bene ts. Results are relevant to both academics and counterterrorism practitioners working to understand the role of extremist beliefs in motivating involvement in terrorist violence. Show less
Narrative is intimately connected to victimization and radicalization. Trouble, the notion that drives narrative, is often coupled with victimization: the experience of suffering intentional harm.... Show moreNarrative is intimately connected to victimization and radicalization. Trouble, the notion that drives narrative, is often coupled with victimization: the experience of suffering intentional harm. This experience can play a turning point in the stories that radicals construct about their own lives and thus play a role in their pathway to radicalization. In this article, three main themes of narrative will be further explored in relation to victimization and radicalization: identity, emotions, and culture. Central in this article is the discussion on how narrative can contribute to theory and research into victimological processes in radicalization, while offering new means to further develop key constructs. Show less
While the study of victimology and radicalization mainly focuses on those who suffered from terrorist attacks, this article explores the role of victimological processes in deradicalization.... Show moreWhile the study of victimology and radicalization mainly focuses on those who suffered from terrorist attacks, this article explores the role of victimological processes in deradicalization. Experts from different international deradicalization initiatives were interviewed. Using the narrative framework with its three key concepts—identity, emotion, and culture—as set forth by Pemberton and Aarten in this issue, the relationship between victimization and deradicalization is more thoroughly examined. Key findings include the delicacy of the term “victim” in radicals’ narrative identity, the power of narrative in triggering and transmitting emotions, and the importance of a former radical that acknowledges the narratives of the radical and offers alternative narratives to their radicalized ideologies. Show less
This book is the first attempt to understand Boko Haram in a comprehensive and consistent way. It examines the early history of the sect and its transformation into a radical armed group. It... Show moreThis book is the first attempt to understand Boko Haram in a comprehensive and consistent way. It examines the early history of the sect and its transformation into a radical armed group. It analyses the causes of the uprising against the Nigerian state and evaluates the consequences of the on-going conflict from a religious, social and political point of view. The book gives priority to authors conducting fieldwork in Nigeria and tackles the following issues: the extent to which Boko Haram can be considered the product of deprivation and marginalisation; the relationship of the sect with almajirai, Islamic schools, Sufi brotherhoods, Izala, and Christian churches; the role of security forces and political parties in the radicalisation of the sect; the competing discourses in international and domestic media coverage of the crisis; and the consequences of the militarisation of the conflict for the Nigerian government and the civilian population, Christian and Muslim. Show less
La violence a été omniprésente dans l'Afrique du XXe siècle, et si son impact politique a été vu sous l'angle de l'État, la portée sociale et culturelle de la violence, elle, a été minimisée.... Show moreLa violence a été omniprésente dans l'Afrique du XXe siècle, et si son impact politique a été vu sous l'angle de l'État, la portée sociale et culturelle de la violence, elle, a été minimisée. Or la violence telle qu'elle se manifeste actuellement en Afrique australe (Zimbabwe), occidentale (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire), centrale (Congo(s), Centrafrique), orientale (Éthiopie/Érythrée, Somalie, Soudan) et septentrionale (Algérie) doit uniquement être considérée par rapport à l'Histoire. Il s'agit d'un processus de destruction de la cohésion sociale, de déshumanisation, qui est transmissible. L'impact du colonialisme sur la violence africaine ne doit pas être oublié, comme le montre l'exemple de l'absurdité de la répartition des terres en Namibie, au Zimbabwe et en Afrique du Sud. Le génocide rwandais est un concentré des nombreux facteurs de violence qui, en Afrique, peuvent se rejoindre pour exploser. L'élément de l'impunité, comme dans les cas de viol, pratique qui se répand dans les cas de conflits en Afrique, joue un rôle. Un facteur nouveau, comme lors de l'opération "Restore Hope" en Somalie en 1992, est l'apprentissage de la médiatisation comme arme de guerre. [Résumé ASC Leiden] Show less
