Volume XIV, Issue 3 June 2020 PERSPECTIVES on TERRORISM Volume 14, Issue 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ISSN 2334-3745 Volume XIV, Issue 3 June 2020 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 14, Issue 3 Table of Contents Welcome from the Editors………………………………………………………………..................................1 Articles Idiosyncratic Terrorism: Disaggregating an Undertheorized Concept……………………..........................2 by Jesse J. Norris Failed States and Terrorism: Justifiability of Transnational Interventions from a Counterterrorism Perspective ………………………………………………..............................................................................19 by Aleksandar Pašagić A Broad Spectrum of Signs of Islamic Radicalisation and Extremism in a Country without a Single Terrorist Attack: The Case of Slovenia ………………………………..……….............................................29 by Iztok Prezelj & Klemen Kocjancic Suspect Community: A Product of the Prevention of Terrorism Acts or a Product of Conflict Dynamics?……………………………………………….……………………...............................................46 by Emma Ylitalo-James Research Notes COVID-19 and Terrorism ……………………………………………………..……....................................60 by Gary Ackerman and Hayley Peterson Countering Terrorist Acts Against Christian Places of Worship ……………………….............................75 by Katalin Pethő-Kiss Right-Wing Terror A Fifth Global Wave?……………………..……............................................................88 by Vincent A. Auger More Grist to the Mill? Reciprocal Radicalisation and Reactions to Terrorism in the Far-Right Digital Milieu ……………………..……………………………………....................................................................99 by Benjamin Lee and Kim Knott Policy Notes 'Remodelling': The Need for More Robust Models and Metrics for Counterterrorism Threat Analysis..117 by Jason A. Bakas Resources Bibliography: Children, Youth and Terrorism………..………………..…..…….......................................126 Compiled and selected by Judith Tinnes Bibliography: Internet-Driven Right-Wing Terrorism………..………………..…..……..........................169 Compiled and selected by Judith Tinnes Counterterrorism Bookshelf: 17 Books on Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism Related Subjects………....191 Reviewed by Joshua Sinai ISSN 2334-3745 I June 2020 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 14, Issue 3 Book Review: Klaus Hock & Nina Käsehage (Eds.).’ Militant Islam’ vs. ‘Islamic Militancy’? Religion, Violence, Category Formation and Applied Research. Contested Fields in the Discourses of Scholarship..198 Reviewed by Ahmet S. Yayla Book Review: Florian Hartleb. Lone Wolf. The New Terrorism of Right-Wing Single Actors.....................200 Reviewed by José Pedro Zúquete Recent Online Resources for the Analysis of Terrorism and Related Subjects………..............................202 Compiled and selected by Berto Jongman Announcements Conference Calendar………………………………….……………..……...…………….............................223 Compiled and selected by Reinier Bergema About Perspectives on Terrorism…………………………………………………………............................231 ISSN 2334-3745 II June 2020 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 14, Issue 3 Welcome from the Editors Dear Reader, We are pleased to announce the release of Volume XIV, Issue 3 (June 2020) of Perspectives on Terrorism (ISSN 2334-3745). Our free and independent online journal is a publication of the Terrorism Research Initiative (TRI), Vienna, and the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) of Leiden University’s Campus in The Hague. All past and recent issues are available online at URL: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/perspectives- on-terrorism. Perspectives on Terrorism (PoT) is indexed by JSTOR, SCOPUS, and GoogleScholar. Now in its fourteenth year, it has over 9,000 registered subscribers and many more occasional readers and website visitors worldwide. The Articles of its six annual issues are fully peer-reviewed by external referees while its Research and Policy Notes, Special Correspondence, Resources and other content are subject to internal editorial quality control. This issue begins with a research article by Jesse J. Norris examiningfour dimensions of idiosyncrasy among terrorists: idiosyncratic ideologies, tactics, strategic thinking, and motives. Next, Aleksandar Pašagić explores the contrasting scholarly views on using counterterrorism as a rationale for transnational interventions into failed and fragile states. An article by Iztok Prezelj & Klemen Kocjancic looks at how a country with no publicly known terrorist group (Slovenia) still has instances of recruiting and training local foreign fighters, the deportation of extremists, and even a foiled terrorist attack. And in the final research article, Emma Ylitalo-James argues that a ‘suspect community’ is formed at the initiation of conflict (through the reactions of opposing factions, combined with public out-group perceptions of threat), and not in response to legislation dealing with conflict. Our Research Notes section begins with an overview of how COVID-19 might affect the state of contemporary terrorism, by Gary Ackerman and Hayley Peterson. Then Katalin Pethő-Kiss identifies strategies for addressing the security challenges faced by Christian places of worship. Vincent A. Auger explores the question of whether right-wing violence might constitute a fifth global wave (drawing on David Rapoport’s concept of “waves of terrorism”). And in the final research note, Benjamin Lee and Kim Knott examine whether the far-right digital milieu reveals examples of reciprocal radicalisation—the theory that extremist organisations are connected and feed on one another’s rhetoric and actions to justify violent escalation. In a special Policy Note, Jason A. Bakas argues that we need more robust models and metrics for counterterrorism threat analysis than currently used by a number of Western governments whose approaches he studied. Our Resources section opens with a bibliography compiled by Judith Tinnes with books, articles, theses as well as grey literature on the intersections of children, youth and terrorism. And a second bibliography, also compiled by Judith Tinnes, addresses Internet-driven right-wing terrorism. Joshua Sinai, PoT’s book reviews editor, presents 17 books on terrorism and counter-terrorism, and book reviews are provided by Ahmet S. Yayla and José Pedro Zúquete. Finally, Berto Jongman’s regular survey of new web-based resources on terrorism and related subjects is followed by Reinier Bergema’s overview of recent and upcoming conferences and workshops on terrorism and related subjects. This issue has been prepared by the principal editors of our journal, Alex Schmid and James Forest, with the assistance of Associate Editors Jeffrey Kaplan and Leah Farrall. The technical online launch of this journal issue has, as usual, been in the hands of Associate Editor for IT, Christine Boelema Robertus, while Editorial Assistant Jodi Moore contributed significantly with editing and proofreading. ISSN 2334-3745 1 June 2020 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 14, Issue 3 Articles Idiosyncratic Terrorism: Disaggregating an Undertheorized Concept by Jesse J. Norris Abstract It is widely recognized that some terrorism is idiosyncratic, and indeed, some define lone-actor terrorism as inherently idiosyncratic. Yet the notion of idiosyncratic terrorism remains undefined and undertheorized. What exactly does it mean for terrorists to be idiosyncratic, and why does it matter? To disaggregate and further develop this undertheorized concept, this article identifies four dimensions of idiosyncrasy among terrorists, each of which can be divided into subtypes: idiosyncratic ideologies, tactics, strategic thinking, and motives. Empirical examples of each are provided for both lone-actor and group-based terrorism. In addition, five case studies of idiosyncratic terrorism are presented. Potential implications for further theoretical and empirical inquiries, and for counterterrorism policy, are explored. Keywords: Terrorism theory, ideology, idiosyncrasy, tactics, lone-actor terrorism, group-based terrorism Introduction Terrorism researchers often remark, typically in passing, that a particular terrorist, terrorist group or terrorist attack is idiosyncratic.[1] Lone-actor terrorists, in particular, are frequently described as idiosyncratic in some way.[2] Yet what is meant by the term “idiosyncratic” varies widely, is rarely defined, and has not yet been subject to extended theoretical elaboration or empirical examination. What exactly does it mean for terrorists to be idiosyncratic, and why does it matter, in terms of terrorism theory and counterterrorism policy? This article’s preliminary answers to these questions help transcend the dichotomy between lone-actor and group-based terrorism, while developing conceptual building blocks useful for generating new hypotheses and developing terrorism theory. This article identifies four dimensions of idiosyncrasy: idiosyncratic ideology, idiosyncratic motives, idiosyncratic tactics, and idiosyncratic strategic thinking. Each is also divided into distinct subtypes. This conceptual development helps correct misconceptions about idiosyncratic terrorism, such as the idea that it primarily applies to lone wolves and is mainly associated with mental illness. More broadly, this article argues that idiosyncratic terrorism should not be written off as impossible to understand, as “black swan occurrences,” but should be taken seriously and examined in depth by researchers and practitioners alike.[3] Idiosyncrasy, in all its dimensions, is important both for analyzing the nature of modern terrorism and for devising