DOCSLIB.ORG

Be Afraid. Be a Little Afraid: the Threat of Terrorism from Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq Daniel Byman Jeremy Shapiro

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Be Afraid. Be a Little Afraid: the Threat of Terrorism from Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq Daniel Byman Jeremy Shapiro Be Afraid. Be A Little Afraid: The Threat of Terrorism from Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq DANIEL BYMAN JEREMY SHAPIRO Foreign Policy at BROOKINGS POLICY PAPER Number 34, November 2014 Acknowledgements This report is in large part the distillation and orga- expert and relatively gentle criticisms which both nization of other people’s observations and wisdom. improved the paper and maintained our fragile egos The authors relied heavily on interviews with experts (for the most part). and government officials in Denmark, France, Ger- many, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United King- Finally, we would like to thank our Brookings col- dom, and the United States to understand these leagues: Martin Indyk, for supporting the work issues. These people were extraordinarily generous through the Director’s Strategic Initiative Fund; Ta- with their time and with their insights. Most of mara Cofman Wittes and Fiona Hill for providing them asked not to be identified, either for reasons stimulating and smiling places within Brookings of modesty, professional survival, or simply because to work; Bruce Jones for shepherding us through they are embarrassed to know us. This report is, we the review process and providing sage advice; and hope, a small testimony to their enormous collective Rangano Makamure, Maggie Humenay, and Ben wisdom and dedication to the safety and security of Cahen for their financial acumen. Special thanks go their respective countries. to Stephanie Dahle for her expert editing and for reminding us to thank everyone. Finally, our greatest We would particularly like to thank Marc Hecker, debt is to Jennifer Williams. Her research assistance, Shiraz Maher, Peter Neumann, Magnus Ranstorp, her formidable skills as an editor, and her astonish- and Floris Vermeulen. We are also very grateful to ing patience were absolutely essential to the comple- John Mueller and an anonymous reviewer for their tion of this paper. Brookings recognizes that the value it provides to any supporter is in its abso- lute commitment to quality, independence, and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment, and the analysis and recommenda- tions of the Institution’s scholars are not determined by any donation. BE AFRAID. BE A LITTLE AFRAID: THE THREAT OF TERRORISM FROM WESTERN FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN SYRIA AND IRAQ FOREIGN POLICY AT BROOKINGS i Table of Contents Be Afraid. Be A Little Afraid: The Threat of Terrorism from Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq ....1 The Standard Schematic Model of Foreign Fighter Radicalization .................................5 Syria/Iraq as the Worst-Case Scenario? .....................................................9 Mitigating Factors ....................................................................16 Policy Recommendations ..............................................................23 Authors ............................................................................30 BE AFRAID. BE A LITTLE AFRAID: THE THREAT OF TERRORISM FROM WESTERN FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN SYRIA AND IRAQ FOREIGN POLICY AT BROOKINGS ii Be Afraid. Be A Little Afraid: The Threat of Terrorism from Western Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq n May 24, 2014, a man walked into the Jew- • Many die, blowing themselves up in suicide ish Museum in Brussels and opened fire with a attacks or perishing quickly in firefights with Opistol and an AK-47, killing four people in just opposing forces. seconds. This attack was more than just another inci- dent of senseless gun violence. The alleged perpetra- • Many never return home, but continue fight- tor, Mehdi Nemmouche, was a French citizen who ing in the conflict zone or at the next battle had spent the last year fighting Syria. As such, this for jihad. attack appears to have been the very first instance of • Many of those who go quickly become disil- spillover of the Syrian civil war into the European lusioned, and even many of those who return Union. For many U.S. and European intelligence often are not violent. officials, it seemed a harbinger. They fear that a wave of terrorism will sweep over Europe, driven by the • Others are arrested or disrupted by intelligence civil war in Syria and the crisis in Iraq. services. Indeed, becoming a foreign fighter— particularly with today’s heavy use of social me- Despite these fears and the real danger that moti- dia—makes a terrorist far more likely to come vates them, the Syrian and Iraqi foreign fighter to the attention of security services. threat can easily be exaggerated. Fears about foreign fighters were raised concerning many conflicts, espe- The danger posed by returning foreign fighters is cially after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq; yet for the real, but American and European security services most part, these conflicts did not produce a surge in have tools that they have successfully deployed in terrorism in Europe or the United States. Indeed, in the past to mitigate the threat. These tools will have the case of Iraq in particular, returning foreign fight- to be adapted to the new context in Syria and Iraq, ers proved much less of a terrorist threat than orig- but they will remain useful and effective. Experience inally predicted by security services. Previous cases thus far validates both perspectives on the nature of and the information already emerging from Syria the threat. The Nemmouche attack demonstrates suggest several mitigating effects that reduce—but the danger, but European security services have also hardly eliminate—the potential terrorist threat from disrupted five plots with possible links to Syrian for- foreign fighters who have gone to Syria. Mitigating eign fighters to date, in locales ranging from Kosovo factors include: to the United Kingdom.1 1 For a list of violent plots in Europe involving Syria returnees, see Andrew Zammit, “List of alleged violent plots in Europe involving Syria returnees,” The Murphy Raid (blog), June 29, 2014, http://andrewzammit.org/2014/06/29/list-of-alleged-violent-plots-in-europe-involving-syria-returnees/. BE AFRAID. BE A LITTLE AFRAID: THE THREAT OF TERRORISM FROM WESTERN FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN SYRIA AND IRAQ FOREIGN POLICY AT BROOKINGS 1 Even the one successful attack in Brussels demon- the homes of Western Muslims every day. All sides strates why Syria’s foreign fighters are less of a dan- increasingly consider the conflict sectarian, pitting ger than is often supposed. Nemmouche was known Iraq and Syria’s Sunnis against the Iraqi and Syri- to French counterterrorism officials who had placed an regimes and their Shi’a supporters in Syria, Iraq, him under surveillance after his return from Syria, Iran, and elsewhere. specifically because he had been in Syria. He escaped greater notice probably because he acted alone, but Western security services fear that the foreign fight- that also limited his impact. And while Nemmouche er threat in Syria and Iraq is different in important appears to have picked up some weapons skills in ways than past foreign fighter problems. Young Eu- Syria, he apparently had no idea how to operate as ropean and American Muslims will go off to fight in an undercover terrorist in Europe. He failed to get Syria and Iraq as Sunni idealists but will return as an- rid of the guns he used in the attack and boarded ti-Western terrorists.3 They see combat experience in a bus on a well-known cannabis smuggling route, the region as a double threat. Many of those who go leading to his capture. to war will come back as hardened veterans, steady in the face of danger and skilled in the use of weap- Many security officials do not find Nemmouche’s ons and explosives—ideal terrorist recruiting mate- shortcomings very reassuring. Security officials are rial. While in the combat zone, they will form net- paid to worry about threats and, despite the mitigat- works with other Western Muslims and establish ties ing factors, foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria provide to jihadists around the world, making them prone ample room for worry. to further radicalization and giving them access to training, weapons, and other resources they might Thousands of Sunni Muslims have gone to fight otherwise lack. Charles Farr, director general of the alongside their fellow Sunnis against the Syrian and UK’s Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism,4 Iraqi regimes. (Thousands more Shi’a have gone to claims that “Syria is a very profound game-chang- fight on the side of those governments.2 But it is er,” while the Netherlands’ national coordinator the Sunni foreign fighters from Europe and Amer- for security and counterterrorism warns that “these ica, with passports that enable them to go anywhere people are not only coming back with radical ideas; in Europe or the United States without a visa, who they are also traumatised and fully prepared to use worry Western officials.) The overwhelming major- violence.”5 This fear of violence is particularly acute ity of foreign fighters who have gone abroad to join because many of those going to Syria and Iraq are the fight in Syria and Iraq have come from the Arab social misfits and “marginalized… juvenile delin- world. But Western Europe’s sixteen million and quents. It’s often people who were criminals before,” America’s two million Muslims also feel the pull: the according to French officials.6 carnage in Syria, the refugee crisis, and the violence between religious communities there have echoed American officials have similar fears. FBI director throughout the West. Satellite television and social James Comey stated that “All of us with a mem- media bring images of sorrow and slaughter into ory of the ’80s and ’90s saw the line drawn from 2 Daniel L. Byman, “Syria’s Other Foreign Fighters,” Lawfare (blog), January 12, 2014, http://www.lawfareblog.com/2014/01/the-foreign-policy- essay-syrias-other-foreign-fighters/; for a broader overview of foreign fighters in history, see David Malet, “Foreign Fighters Playbook,” Foreign Affairs,April 8, 2014, http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/141107/david-malet/foreign-fighters-playbook.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Living Under Drones Death, Injury, and Trauma to Civilians from US Drone Practices in Pakistan
    Fall 08 September 2012 Living Under Drones Death, Injury, and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic Stanford Law School Global Justice Clinic http://livingunderdrones.org/ NYU School of Law Cover Photo: Roof of the home of Faheem Qureshi, a then 14-year old victim of a January 23, 2009 drone strike (the first during President Obama’s administration), in Zeraki, North Waziristan, Pakistan. Photo supplied by Faheem Qureshi to our research team. Suggested Citation: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION CLINIC (STANFORD LAW SCHOOL) AND GLOBAL JUSTICE CLINIC (NYU SCHOOL OF LAW), LIVING UNDER DRONES: DEATH, INJURY, AND TRAUMA TO CIVILIANS FROM US DRONE PRACTICES IN PAKISTAN (September, 2012) TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I ABOUT THE AUTHORS III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS V INTRODUCTION 1 METHODOLOGY 2 CHALLENGES 4 CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 7 DRONES: AN OVERVIEW 8 DRONES AND TARGETED KILLING AS A RESPONSE TO 9/11 10 PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ESCALATION OF THE DRONE PROGRAM 12 “PERSONALITY STRIKES” AND SO-CALLED “SIGNATURE STRIKES” 12 WHO MAKES THE CALL? 13 PAKISTAN’S DIVIDED ROLE 15 CONFLICT, ARMED NON-STATE GROUPS, AND MILITARY FORCES IN NORTHWEST PAKISTAN 17 UNDERSTANDING THE TARGET: FATA IN CONTEXT 20 PASHTUN CULTURE AND SOCIAL NORMS 22 GOVERNANCE 23 ECONOMY AND HOUSEHOLDS 25 ACCESSING FATA 26 CHAPTER 2: NUMBERS 29 TERMINOLOGY 30 UNDERREPORTING OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES BY US GOVERNMENT SOURCES 32 CONFLICTING MEDIA REPORTS 35 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
    [Show full text]
  • If It's Broke, Fix It: Restoring Federal Government Ethics and Rule Of
    If it’s Broke, Fix it Restoring Federal Government Ethics and Rule of Law Edited by Norman Eisen The editor and authors of this report are deeply grateful to several indi- viduals who were indispensable in its research and production. Colby Galliher is a Project and Research Assistant in the Governance Studies program of the Brookings Institution. Maya Gros and Kate Tandberg both worked as Interns in the Governance Studies program at Brookings. All three of them conducted essential fact-checking and proofreading of the text, standardized the citations, and managed the report’s production by coordinating with the authors and editor. IF IT’S BROKE, FIX IT 1 Table of Contents Editor’s Note: A New Day Dawns ................................................................................. 3 By Norman Eisen Introduction ........................................................................................................ 7 President Trump’s Profiteering .................................................................................. 10 By Virginia Canter Conflicts of Interest ............................................................................................... 12 By Walter Shaub Mandatory Divestitures ...................................................................................... 12 Blind-Managed Accounts .................................................................................... 12 Notification of Divestitures .................................................................................. 13 Discretionary Trusts
    [Show full text]
  • The Bush Revolution: the Remaking of America's Foreign Policy
    The Bush Revolution: The Remaking of America’s Foreign Policy Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay The Brookings Institution April 2003 George W. Bush campaigned for the presidency on the promise of a “humble” foreign policy that would avoid his predecessor’s mistake in “overcommitting our military around the world.”1 During his first seven months as president he focused his attention primarily on domestic affairs. That all changed over the succeeding twenty months. The United States waged wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. U.S. troops went to Georgia, the Philippines, and Yemen to help those governments defeat terrorist groups operating on their soil. Rather than cheering American humility, people and governments around the world denounced American arrogance. Critics complained that the motto of the United States had become oderint dum metuant—Let them hate as long as they fear. September 11 explains why foreign policy became the consuming passion of Bush’s presidency. Once commercial jetliners plowed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it is unimaginable that foreign policy wouldn’t have become the overriding priority of any American president. Still, the terrorist attacks by themselves don’t explain why Bush chose to respond as he did. Few Americans and even fewer foreigners thought in the fall of 2001 that attacks organized by Islamic extremists seeking to restore the caliphate would culminate in a war to overthrow the secular tyrant Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Yet the path from the smoking ruins in New York City and Northern Virginia to the battle of Baghdad was not the case of a White House cynically manipulating a historic catastrophe to carry out a pre-planned agenda.
    [Show full text]
  • IN the SENATE of the UNITED STATES Sitting As a Court of Impeachment in Re IMPEACHMENT of PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TRIAL MEMORA
    IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES Sitting as a Court of Impeachment In re IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TRIAL MEMORANDUM OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP United States House of Representatives Adam B. Schiff Jerrold Nadler Zoe Lofgren Hakeem S. Jeffries Val Butler Demings Jason Crow Sylvia R. Garcia U.S. House of Representatives Managers TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................. 9 I. CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS FOR PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT .................................................... 9 II. THE HOUSE’S IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP AND PRESENTATION OF THIS MATTER TO THE SENATE .............................................................................................................. 12 ARGUMENT ................................................................................................................................................... 16 I. THE SENATE SHOULD CONVICT PRESIDENT TRUMP OF ABUSE OF POWER .................................. 16 A. President Trump Exercised His Official Power to Pressure Ukraine into Aiding His Reelection ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Hizb Ut-Tahrir Ideology and Strategy
    HIZB UT-TAHRIR IDEOLOGY AND STRATEGY “The fierce struggle… between the Muslims and the Kuffar, has been intense ever since the dawn of Islam... It will continue in this way – a bloody struggle alongside the intellectual struggle – until the Hour comes and Allah inherits the Earth...” Hizb ut-Tahrir The Centre for Social Cohesion Houriya Ahmed & Hannah Stuart HIZB UT-TAHRIR IDEOLOGY AND STRATEGY “The fierce struggle… between the Muslims and the Kuffar, has been intense ever since the dawn of Islam... It will continue in this way – a bloody struggle alongside the intellectual struggle – until the Hour comes and Allah inherits the Earth...” Hizb ut-Tahrir The Centre for Social Cohesion Houriya Ahmed & Hannah Stuart Hizb ut-Tahrir Ideology and Strategy Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart 2009 The Centre for Social Cohesion Clutha House, 10 Storey’s Gate London SW1P 3AY Tel: +44 (0)20 7222 8909 Fax: +44 (0)5 601527476 Email: [email protected] www.socialcohesion.co.uk The Centre for Social Cohesion Limited by guarantee Registered in England and Wales: No. 06609071 © The Centre for Social Cohesion, November 2009 All the Institute’s publications seek to further its objective of promoting human rights for the benefit of the public. The views expressed are those of the author, not of the Institute. Hizb ut-Tahrir: Ideology and Strategy By Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart ISBN 978-0-9560013-4-4 All rights reserved The map on the front cover depicts Hizb ut-Tahrir’s vision for its Caliphate in ‘Islamic Lands’ ABOUT THE AUTHORS Houriya Ahmed is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC).
    [Show full text]
  • Depictions of Terrorism and Islamophobia on CNN.Com by U.S
    ICoSaPS Conference Proceedings The 3rd International Conference on Social and Political Science “The Impact of Information Technology on Social and Political Dynamics”, (2016), Volume 2017 Conference Paper Depictions of Terrorism and Islamophobia on CNN.com by U.S. Presidential Candidates Salieg Luki Munestri, S.S, M.A.1, Abdiel Nugroho Adi2, and Okdela Nurintan2 1International Relations UNS Department 2International Relations UNS Student Abstract Since the 9/11 attack in New York, the U.S. government has focused on combating terrorism by pre-emptive strategy to destroy the save haven of the terrorists and punish those supporting them. Terrorism is associated with Islam, thus, discrediting Islam and spreading Islamophobia amongst the society. In their campaigns and debates, the U.S. presidential candidates have treated terrorism as a central issue to attract more Americans to vote for one of them. Hence, this paper analyzes their opinion concerning terrorism and what resolutions they offer if they are elected as president. The primary source is limited on the CNN.com and examined through adiscourse analysisof the subject matter. The analysis shows that Trump’s policy in dealing with terrorism focuses on how to prevent the coming of terrorists by stopping Corresponding Author: Salieg Luki Munestri the flow of immigrants, while Hillary Clinton’s policy is more aggressive and emotional. Received: 09 April 2017 Keywords: discourse analysis, Islamophobia, terrorism Accepted: 17 May 2017 Published: 12 June 2017 Publishing services provided 1. Background by Knowledge E Islamophobia was awakened following September 11, 2001 attacks on the symbol of Salieg Luki Munestri, S.S, the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Potential Responses to the Threat of 'Fake News' in a Digitalised Media
    Potential responses to the threat of ‘fake news’ in a digitalised media environment Jack Edmond A dissertation in partial fulfilment of the degree of Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand October 2018 1 Acknowledgements To my supervisor Professor Paul Roth, thank you for your help and patience throughout the year. To Professor Colin Gavaghan for your insight and feedback. To my flatmates for their friendship and support, particularly Raffie, Jonny and Zac for putting up with diss chat all year. Finally, I would like to say thank you to my parents, I wouldn’t be where I am today without your love and support. 2 Table of Contents Part 1: ............................................................................................................................ 5 I. Introduction: ................................................................................................................... 5 II. A background to ‘fake news’ ............................................................................................ 7 A. A history of fake news ............................................................................................................7 B. The current digital climate .....................................................................................................8 C. The threat ‘fake news’ poses to democracy ....................................................................... 10 D. Does ‘fake news’ actually pose a threat to democracy?....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Primacy of Praxis Clerical Authority in the Syrian Conflict
    MiddleMiddle EastEast InstituteInstitute THE PRIMACY OF PRAXIS CLERICAL AUTHORITY IN THE SYRIAN CONFLICT SHIRAZ MAHER OCTOBER 2018 POLICY PAPER 2018-10 CONTENTS * SUMMARY * KEY POINTS * 1 INTRODUCTION * 2 CONTROLLING THE FIRE * 6 INTERNATIONAL JIHAD * 10 JIXADI PRAXIS AS AUTHENTICITY * 12 CONCLUSION * 15 ENDNOTES * 17 ABOUT THE AUTHOR * 18 ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE © The Middle East Institute The Middle East Institute 1319 18th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20036 SUMMARY A close look at the competing claims, actors, and movements for authority within the Syrian civil war reveals three distinct periods of political and religious influence: that of Syrian scholars, who were the first to inject religious language into the revolution; that of Salafi scholars predominantly from the Gulf; and lastly, that of jihadi organizations like ISIS and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, who were active on the ground. This paper focuses on which figures relied on action—rather than theoretical abstraction—to establish legitimacy and authority on the ground in Syria. Tracing the conflict from the first clerical attempts to coordinate the Syrian opposition to the conflict’s regionalization, and, later, internationalization, this paper demonstrates that the words of actors on the ground are more likely than those of far-off figures—however popular—to resound effectively. KEY POINTS * The initial exile of clerics during the Syrian conflict’s early stages gave rise to a second wave of Gulf Salafi clerics who internationalized the conflict. * As the influence of domestic and regional religious scholars faded, a vacuum of clerical authority in the conflict emerged. This space became dominated by brutal jihadi actors.
    [Show full text]
  • 1- POS 394/H COOR HALL L1-18 Professor Peter L. Bergen Email
    FUTURE OF WAR POS 394/HON 394 SPRING 2019; WEDNESDAY 4:50 PM – 7:35 PM COOR HALL L1-18 Professor Peter L. Bergen Email: [email protected] Professor Daniel Rothenberg Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Coor 6692, Wednesdays 2:00-4:00 PM and by appointment COURSE OVERVIEW This course engages the social, political, economic, and cultural implications of the changing nature of war and conflict. The class provides an overview of some major philosophical and military-strategic theories and conceptions of war, an introduction to the laws of war and a consideration of broad trends in global politics. The class looks at some significant issues related to contemporary conflict including: drones and autonomous weapons; intelligence operations; refugees and internally displaced persons; the use of rape and sexual violence as tools of war; and the challenges of protecting civilians. It also engages issues of war and conflict in Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, North Korea and elsewhere. In general, the course contextualizes these issues and debates in relation to the post-9/11 wars, with a review of how the U.S. goes to war, the rise of ISIS, domestic terrorism and how recent conflicts have impacted American society. The class is taught by Prof. Peter L. Bergen and Prof. Daniel Rothenberg, co-directors of ASU’s Center on the Future of War (https://futureofwar.asu.edu/). Many class meetings feature guest lectures and presentations by nationally and internationally recognized experts including: journalists specializing in conflict reporting; scholars; former general officers; current military officers; former high ranking government officials; and key policy makers, the majority of whom are Center on the Future of War Faculty Affiliates or ASU Future of War Fellows at New America, a DC-based think tank.
    [Show full text]
  • NOMINEES for the 39Th ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY
    NOMINEES FOR THE 39th ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED Paula S. Apsell of PBS’ NOVA to be honored with Lifetime Achievement Award October 1st Award Presentation at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in NYC New York, N.Y. – July 26, 2018 (revised 10.16.18) – Nominations for the 39th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards were announced today by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The News & Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented on Monday, October 1st, 2018, at a ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Time Warner Complex at Columbus Circle in New York City. The event will be attended by more than 1,000 television and news media industry executives, news and documentary producers and journalists. “New technologies are opening up endless new doors to knowledge, instantly delivering news and information across myriad platforms,” said Adam Sharp, interim President& CEO, NATAS. “With this trend comes the immense potential to inform and enlighten, but also to manipulate and distort. Today we honor the talented professionals who through their work and creativity defend the highest standards of broadcast journalism and documentary television, proudly providing the clarity and insight each of us needs to be an informed world citizen.” In addition to celebrating this year’s nominees in forty-nine categories, the National Academy is proud to be honoring Paula S. Apsell, Senior Executive Director of PBS’ NOVA, at the 39th News & Documentary Emmy Awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her many years of science broadcasting excellence.
    [Show full text]
  • John Zavage on Salafi-Jihadism: the History of an Idea
    Shiraz Maher. Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. 256 pp. $29.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-19-065112-1. Reviewed by John Zavage Published on H-War (September, 2017) Commissioned by Margaret Sankey (Air University) Post-9/11 observers struggle not only to un‐ for Western scholars and policymakers striving to derstand the radical ideology that drives fghters understand one of the strongest adversaries of to sacrifice their lives to kill innocents but also to our generation. identify its scope and to even name it. Scholars Maher’s most straightforward contribution to and policymakers refer to Islamist-motivated ter‐ understanding the ideology of these extremist rorists by almost as many different names as fighters is to simply identify and define the main there are attempts to understand them: extrem‐ components of Salafi-Jihadist thinking. This Ma‐ ists, jihadis, salafis ... the list goes on. It is safe to her does with precision, in identifying and de‐ say that Western understanding of the religious scribing fve main components of the Salafi-Ji‐ narrative that motivates such adversaries is elu‐ hadist belief that distinguish it from more main‐ sive. For these reasons, Shiraz Maher’s book, stream Islam. According to the author, these fve Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea, is a criti‐ components are jihad, takfir (excommunication), cally important work. Maher clarifies and pack‐ al-wala’ wa-l-bara ’ (loyalty and disavowal), ages these adversaries’ historical and religious tawhid (oneness of God), and hakimiyah (rule of narrative with unique skill, while giving these God, referred to often as political Islam).
    [Show full text]
  • Zavage on Maher, 'Salafi-Jihadism: the History of an Idea'
    H-War Zavage on Maher, 'Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea' Review published on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 Shiraz Maher. Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. 256 pp. $29.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-19-065112-1. Reviewed by John Zavage (Air University, Air War College) Published on H-War (September, 2017) Commissioned by Margaret Sankey Post-9/11 observers struggle not only to understand the radical ideology that drives fighters to sacrifice their lives to kill innocents but also to identify its scope and to even name it. Scholars and policymakers refer to Islamist-motivated terrorists by almost as many different names as there are attempts to understand them: extremists, jihadis, salafis ... the list goes on. It is safe to say that Western understanding of the religious narrative that motivates such adversaries is elusive. For these reasons, Shiraz Maher’s book, Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea, is a critically important work. Maher clarifies and packages these adversaries’ historical and religious narrative with unique skill, while giving these fighters a well-researched and well-justified name, an anchor of sorts to understand their theoretical and historical motivations. In the process, he does more than simply provide Western readers with an outline to help understand how and why the Salafi-Jihadist narrative is so compelling for its adherents. He also introduces Salafi thinkers who believe the narrative but reject the violence. Most important, for policymakers, Maher makes a strong case for how military intervention into Muslim lands, both before and after 9/11, serves as motivation that fuels transformational growth of Salafi-Jihadism.
    [Show full text]