The Path to Terrorism: the Islamic State and Its Recruitment Strategies
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Turkey 2020 Website.Indd
TURKEY Quick Facts Population: 82,017,514 (July 2020 est.) Area: 783,562 sq km Ethnic Groups: Turkish 70-75%, Kurdish 19%, other minorities 7-12% (2016 est.) Government Type: Presidential republic GDP (official exchange rate): $851.5 billion (2017 est.) Source: CIA World FactBook (Last Updated August 2020) INTRODUCTION While Turkey remains a nominally secular republic, political Islam has been ascendant in the country since the military coup of 1980. The consolidation of power by Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party in the past 15 years, however, has led to the gradual weakening of secularism and the promotion of political Islam in Turkish public life. Political Islam has become increasingly visible at the grassroots level, as pious Turks enjoy growing representation in the political process. In parallel, the mounting authoritarian tendencies of the Turkish government have stifled political opposition. The transformation of Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system of government in a 2017 referendum has ensured, for the time being, that Erdogan’s political agenda faces no serious domestic challenges. That said, following the fallout with the Gülen Movement with whose support Erdoğan came to power, he has been forced into an uneasy alliance with domestic ultra-nationalists. This has not diminished Erdoğan’s Islamism, however, but rather injected it with greater doses of Turkish nationalism. Turkey’s foreign policy has been transformed accordingly. Following the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Turkey actively intervened to secure the victory of political Islam across the Middle East and North Africa, lending support especially to the Muslim Brotherhood and affiliated organizations. -
APR 2016 Part C.Pdf
Page | 1 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – April 2016 www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 2 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – April 2016 After Brussels, Europe's intelligence woes revealed Source:http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/22/brussels-attack-why-europe-must-increase-terror- intelligence.html Mar 23 – Europe must improve the regional Rudd's comments are at the crux of a hot- sharing of intelligence to successfully button discourse about the encroachment on combat the rise of homegrown militants, civil liberties should governments ramp up policy experts told CNBC a day after deadly surveillance and detainment tactics in the explosions hit Brussels. global war on terror. Global terrorist organization ISIS claimed Rudd believes it's a necessary cost to bear. responsibility for Tuesday's attacks that killed "This is not a normal set of circumstances, at least 31 people, the latest episode in the we've got to give our men and women in group's campaign of large-scale violence on uniform and in the intelligence services the the international stage. powers necessary to deal with this. This is no Recent offensives in Paris and Jakarta indicate criticism of the Belgian government but a wake- ISIS is increasingly relying on local up call to all of us who wrestle with this fundamentalists, typically trained in ISIS debate." strongholds within the Middle East, to execute Others agree that European officials must suicide bombings and shootings in busy direct more investment to counter-terrorism, metropolitan areas. despite strained finances for most countries in "The key question here is closing the the region. intelligence gap," said Kevin Rudd, former The fact that the perpetrator of December's Prime Minister of Australia and president of the Paris attacks was caught in Belgium four Asia Society Policy Institute. -
Social Media and the ISIS Narrative Daniel Cunningham, MA Sean F
Social Media and the ISIS Narrative Daniel Cunningham, MA Sean F. Everton, PhD Robert Schroeder, MA Department of Defense Analysis Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943 March 20, 2015 Abstract The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has attracted the world’s attention and much of its wrath, primarily because of its rapid expansion in Iraq and Syria, its brutal treatment of religious minorities (e.g., Yazidis, Christians), and its beheadings of hostages from Western countries. At this point, it is unclear whether the group represents a global or a sectarian form of jihadism. Is it similar to al-Qaeda, which seeks to target the far enemy (i.e., Western countries such as the U.S. that some in the Muslim world believe exert a corrupting influence on Islamic countries), or is it more sectarian in that it focuses on targeting what it perceives to be the near enemies of Islam (i.e., “corrupt” Islamic nations)? In this paper we address this debate by examining ISIS’s online presence on the social media platform, Twitter, which serves as a forum for supporters to post and receive messages, images, videos, and links to websites to and from a wide-audience. The speed at which users can transmit and receive information via Twitter suggests that an analysis of ISIS-related user accounts and the key themes and concepts they disseminate can contribute to a better understanding of the group’s overall narrative. We examine ISIS’s online presence by extracting from Twitter the semantic networks of its most influential users. We find that a shift may be occurring in the ISIS narrative, from one that focuses on the near enemy to one that focuses on the far enemy. -
THE ROLE of BELGIAN FIGHTERS in the JIHADIFICATION of the SYRIAN WAR from PLOTTING EARLY in 2011 to the PARIS and BRUSSELS ATTACKS European Foundation for Democracy
THE ROLE OF BELGIAN FIGHTERS IN THE JIHADIFICATION OF THE SYRIAN WAR FROM PLOTTING EARLY IN 2011 TO THE PARIS AND BRUSSELS ATTACKS European Foundation for Democracy The European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) is a policy institute that has been working with civil society, academic, governmental and other stakeholders on the prevention of radicalisation for more than a decade. With offices in Brussels and Berlin, EFD supports initiatives to streng- then resilience of communities in various countries by empowering credible pro-democratic voices to prevent radicalisation from gaining a foothold in our societies. Counter Extremism Project The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, international policy orga- nisation formed to address the threat of extremist ideologies. It does so by uncovering financial support networks, challenging the narrative of extremists and their online recruitment tactics and working with governments and other stakeholders to create effective laws, policies and regulations. CEP has offices in New York and Washington DC. Authors Pieter Van Ostaeyen and Guy Van Vlierden 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY From early on in the Syrian–Iraqi conflict, foreign fighters from Belgium have played an important role. To begin with, there have been many of them: on a per capita basis, more fighters have come from Belgium than from any other Western European country. But beyond this, they have often ended up in the right place at the right time. Many of them joined a key militia in the genesis of the Islamic State (IS), and some were even present when IS was founded. Furthermore, many were under the command of later IS heavyweights, and several contributed to the transformation of IS into an international terrorist group. -
Belgium: Extremism and Terrorism
Belgium: Extremism and Terrorism On February 5, 2020, it was reported that prosecutors in Belgium are currently seeking to bring eight men to the country’s highest court for their alleged role in carrying out an ISIS-inspired triple suicide bombing in Brussels in March 2016. The ringleader, Oussama Atar, who was allegedly a senior figure in ISIS’s intelligence service, purportedly died in Syria in 2017. One other suspect, Salah Abdeslam, is already in French jail due to his role in the Paris 2015 attack that killed 131 people. The other suspects have been formally charged, but their trials are not due to start until 2021. (Source: The National) On January 30, 2020, the Belgian Court of Cassation confirmed a ruling by the Brussels Court of Appeals that the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK) should not be classified as a terrorist organization. Although the Belgian government considers the PKK to be a terrorist organization, the Court of Cassation represents the opinion of the judiciary which is an independent body from the executive branch. The ruling claimed that EU anti- terrorism legislation cannot be applied towards the PKK as it is involved in a non-international armed conflict or civil war and is thus allowed to use legitimate military force. The PKK is an internationally designated terrorist organization that has been in conflict with the Turkish government for decades. Although it is uncertain if the ruling will create diplomatic altercations with Turkey, the Belgian government depends on stable relations with Ankara to track Belgian nationals who joined ISIS in Syria and continue to remain in the region. -
What the Terrorist Campaign in France and Belgium Tells Us About the Future of Jihadist Terrorism in Europe MTI Report 12-02 December 2012 December 12-02 MTI Report
MTI Trains, Concert Halls, Airports, and Restaurants—All Soft Targets: Funded by U.S. Department of Services Transit Census California of Water 2012 Transportation What the Terrorist Campaign in France and Belgium Tells Us About the Future of Jihadist Terrorism in Europe MTI ReportMTI 12-02 December 2012 MTI Report WP 12-10 MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE MTI FOUNDER Hon. Norman Y. Mineta The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) was established by Congress in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Equity Act (ISTEA) and was reauthorized under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21). MTI then successfully MTI BOARD OF TRUSTEES competed to be named a Tier 1 Center in 2002 and 2006 in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Most recently, MTI successfully competed in the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 to Founder, Honorable Norman Joseph Boardman (Ex-Officio) Diane Woodend Jones (TE 2016) Richard A. White (Ex-Officio) be named a Tier 1 Transit-Focused University Transportation Center. The Institute is funded by Congress through the United States Mineta (Ex-Officio) Chief Executive Officer Principal and Chair of Board Interim President and CEO Department of Transportation’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), University Transportation Secretary (ret.), US Department of Amtrak Lea+Elliot, Inc. American Public Transportation Transportation Association (APTA) Centers Program, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and by private grants and donations. Vice Chair Anne Canby (TE 2017) Will Kempton (TE 2016) Hill & Knowlton, Inc. Director Executive Director Bud Wright (Ex-Officio) OneRail Coalition California Transportation Executive Director The Institute receives oversight from an internationally respected Board of Trustees whose members represent all major surface Honorary Chair, Honorable Bill Commission American Association of State transportation modes. -
MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE MTI FOUNDER Hon
MTI Trains, Concert Halls, Airports, and Restaurants—All Soft Targets: Funded by U.S. Department of Services Transit Census California of Water 2012 Transportation What the Terrorist Campaign in France and Belgium Tells Us About the Future of Jihadist Terrorism in Europe MTI ReportMTI 12-02 December 2012 MTI Report WP 12-10 MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE MTI FOUNDER Hon. Norman Y. Mineta The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) was established by Congress in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Equity Act (ISTEA) and was reauthorized under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21). MTI then successfully MTI BOARD OF TRUSTEES competed to be named a Tier 1 Center in 2002 and 2006 in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Most recently, MTI successfully competed in the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 to Founder, Honorable Norman Joseph Boardman (Ex-Officio) Diane Woodend Jones (TE 2016) Richard A. White (Ex-Officio) be named a Tier 1 Transit-Focused University Transportation Center. The Institute is funded by Congress through the United States Mineta (Ex-Officio) Chief Executive Officer Principal and Chair of Board Interim President and CEO Department of Transportation’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), University Transportation Secretary (ret.), US Department of Amtrak Lea+Elliot, Inc. American Public Transportation Transportation Association (APTA) Centers Program, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and by private grants and donations. Vice Chair Anne Canby (TE 2017) Will Kempton (TE 2016) Hill & Knowlton, Inc. Director Executive Director Bud Wright (Ex-Officio) OneRail Coalition California Transportation Executive Director The Institute receives oversight from an internationally respected Board of Trustees whose members represent all major surface Honorary Chair, Honorable Bill Commission American Association of State transportation modes. -
Open Yazujian Mastersthesis Finaldraft.Pdf
The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School The College of Information Sciences and Technology A COMPARATIVE SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS OF THE 2008 MUMBAI, 2015 PARIS, and 2016 BRUSSELS TERRORIST NETWORKS A Thesis in Information Sciences and Technology by Tyler J. Yazujian 2017 Tyler J. Yazujian Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science May 2017 The thesis of Tyler J. Yazujian was reviewed and approved* by the following: Peter Forster Senior Lecturer of Information Sciences and Technology Thesis Adviser Jessica Kropczynski Lecturer of Information Sciences and Technology T { Donald Shemanski Professor of Practice of Information Sciences and Technology Andrea H. Tapia Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Technology Head of the Graduate Department in the College of IST *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School ii ABSTRACT This research builds a further understanding about analyses to characterize networks with limited data available. It uses social network analysis to retrospectively compare the networks of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai 2008, Paris November 2015, and Brussels March 2016, to better recognize the roles and positions of the networks’ actors. Expanding on previous analysis of the Mumbai terrorist network, this paper identifies new methods to study dark networks by applying social network analysis to the Mumbai, Paris, and Brussels networks. Three levels of analysis are conducted: (1) an attribute-level correlation to examine correlation between age and organizational role across cells; (2) key player analysis to investigate whether key players share similar roles; and (3) application of structural block models to the networks to identify cellular combat teams. -
The History and Influence of the Belgian ISIS Contingent
O Europol Public Information State of Terror The History and Influence of the Belgian ISIS Contingent CONFERENCE PAPER AUTHOR Pieter Van Ostaeyen This paper was presented at the 3rd conference of the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) Advisory Network, 9-10 April 2019, at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Europol Pieter Van Ostaeyen Pieter Van Ostaeyen studied Medieval History with a specialisation in the history of the Cru- sades (KULeuven 1999) and Arabic and Islamic Studies, focusing on the history of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi and the Assassins (KULeuven 2003). Van Ostaeyen has been analysing the conflict in Syria since the outset in 2011. In 2012 he be- gan reporting on foreign fighters and extremist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, Jund al-Aqsa and so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Since 1 September 2016, he is a PhD applicant at the University of Leuven researching the ideology of ISIS as presented in its English language magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. O Europol Public Information Contents Recruitment in Belgium 4 The Belgian Networks 7 The Belgian Foreign Fighter Contingent after the fall of the ISIS Caliphate 9 Conclusion 10 3 O Europol Public Information This paper provides an insight into how the Belgian Jihadi scene and recruitment evolved since the outbreak of the Syr- ian war in 2011. We will look into the recruitment hubs and provide a brief demographical background of recruits. After an introduction to the various networks in Belgium that led to the biggest Western European per-capita foreign fighter con- tingent, we will zoom in on the various groups in which the Belgian foreign fighters were involved and how these groups eventually were responsible for organising the biggest terror- ist attacks in North-Western Europe since World War II: the attacks in Paris in November 2015 and the March 2016 Brus- sels attacks. -
Gaidi Mtaani (Published by Al
University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2018 Recruiting Followers for the Caliphate: A Narrative Analysis of Four Jihadist Magazines Andrea Madrazo University of Central Florida Part of the Mass Communication Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Madrazo, Andrea, "Recruiting Followers for the Caliphate: A Narrative Analysis of Four Jihadist Magazines" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 5786. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5786 RECRUITING FOLLOWERS FOR THE CALIPHATE: A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF FOUR JIHADIST MAGAZINES by ANDREA NICOLE MADRAZO B.A., University of Central Florida, 2016 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Communication in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Major Professor: Jonathan Matusitz Spring Term 2018 2018 Andrea Madrazo ii ABSTRACT This study identifies and compares the methods of recruitment used by three prime jihadist organizations through their online magazines. The successful recruitment efforts and growth as a threat by the Islamic State of Iraq and Shām (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and Al-Shabaab are attributed, in part, to the widespread popularity and accessibility of Dabiq and Rumiyah (published by ISIS), Inspire (published by Al-Qaeda), and Gaidi Mtaani (published by Al- Shabaab). -
Séance Plénière
CRABV 54 COM 373 CRABV 54 COM 373 BELGISCHE KAMER VAN CHAMBRE DES REPRÉSENTANTS VOLKSVERTEGENWOORDIGERS DE BELGIQUE BEKNOPT VERSLAG COMPTE RENDU ANALYTIQUE VERENIGDE COMMISSIES VOOR DE COMMISSIONS RÉUNIES DES RELATIONS BUITENLANDSE BETREKKINGEN, VOOR DE EXTÉRIEURES, DE LA JUSTICE ET DE JUSTITIE EN VOOR DE BINNENLANDSE ZAKEN, L'INTÉRIEUR, DES AFFAIRES GÉNÉRALES ET DE DE ALGEMENE ZAKEN EN HET OPENBAAR AMBT LA FONCTION PUBLIQUE Vrijdag Vendredi 25-03-2016 25-03-2016 Namiddag Après-midi KAMER-3E ZITTING VAN DE 54E ZITTINGSPERIODE 2015 2016 CHAMBRE-3E SESSION DE LA 54E LÉGISLATURE N-VA Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie PS Parti Socialiste MR Mouvement réformateur CD&V Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams Open Vld Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten sp.a socialistische partij anders Ecolo-Groen Ecologistes Confédérés pour l’organisation de luttes originales – Groen cdH centre démocrate Humaniste VB Vlaams Belang DéFI Démocrate Fédéraliste Indépendant PTB-GO! Parti du Travail de Belgique – Gauche d’Ouverture! PP Parti Populaire Afkortingen bij de nummering van de publicaties : Abréviations dans la numérotation des publications : DOC 54 0000/000 Parlementair stuk van de 54e zittingsperiode + basisnummer en DOC 54 0000/000 Document parlementaire de la 54e législature, suivi du n° de volgnummer base et du n° consécutif QRVA Schriftelijke Vragen en Antwoorden QRVA Questions et Réponses écrites CRIV Voorlopige versie van het Integraal Verslag (groene kaft) CRIV Version provisoire du Compte Rendu Intégral (couverture verte) CRABV Beknopt Verslag (witte kaft) CRABV -
The Fight Against ISI.Pdf
House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Understanding How The ISIL Ideology Directs Terrorism And The Necessity To Counter Its Narrative Written evidence from Dr. Sajjan M. Gohel, International Security Director, Asia-Pacific Foundation Dr. Sajjan M. Gohel is International Security Director for the London-based Asia-Pacific Foundation, a policy assessment think-tank monitoring emerging geopolitical threats and analysing the radical ideologies that feed violent extremism. Dr. Gohel collaborates with governments and multilateral organizations such as the European Union, NATO, UNHCR and OSCE. Dr. Gohel has fieldwork experience in 23 countries and has provided expert witness testimony to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on the evolving challenges in Afghanistan-Pakistan, North Africa and the Middle East. In his role as Senior Advisor to the Partnership for Peace Consortium’s Combating Terrorism Working Group, involving 50 nations, Dr. Gohel heads its programme development on countering violent extremism. Dr. Gohel received his BA (Hons) in Politics from Queen Mary, University of London and holds both a Master’s degree in Comparative Politics and a PhD in International History from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE). His thesis was entitled ‘Insurrection Of The Ideologues: The Evolution of Egyptian Islamist Radical Thought from Hasan al-Banna to Ayman al-Zawahiri.’ Dr. Gohel also serves as a visiting lecturer for Master’s students at the LSE, for military officers and diplomats at the NATO Centers in Germany and Turkey, and the George C. Marshall Center. Dr. Gohel appears as a guest analyst on CNN, BBC and Sky News and his commentaries feature in Time Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters and Associated Press.