After a brief discussion of the epistemological and phenomenological difficulties associated with the concept of lone wolf terrorism, a number of possible counterterrorist approaches are discussed. The mere fact that the lonewolf terrorist acts alone makes attacks difficult to detect and prevent. Former counterterrorism adviser to the white house richard clarke said, i dont think this was a lone wolf terrorist, i dont think this was a terrorist at all, i think this was someone who was committing suicide by police as a lot of people with mental problems do, and now, if they say theyre a terrorist, if they say theyre somehow. This article aims to define and analyze the main features and patterns of lone wolf terrorism in fifteen. Terrorist violence committed by lone actor extremists, the colloquial lone wolf, is on the rise. Yet, in a reflection of research on terrorism more generally, our notions about lone actors are too often based on. It is observed by 20 that lone wolf terrorists are often creating their own ideologies. Jul 14, 2016 he, along with ramon spaaij, a sociologist at victoria university, built one of the dojfunded databases and will be publishing the data in the forthcoming book, the age of lone wolf terrorism.
A lone wolf, in brief, is an individual or small group of individuals who use traditional terrorist tactics including violence and the targeting. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Lone wolf terrorists have long been a troublesome issue for policymakers and. Lone wolf terrorism is a wakeup call to those who view terrorism solely as a threat that comes from large groups acting through wellorganized networks. This article analyzes three main aspects of the lone wolf terrorism. Lone wolf terrorism download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Lone wolf attacks are becoming more common and more. The first aspect of this phenomenon is connected with its complex and unpredictable nature. Drawing on extensive international data and qualitative case studies, it examines the global patterns in and key features of lone wolf terrorism over the past four decades. Spaaij 2011, and that the threat is particularly acute today. The myth of the lone wolf terrorist news the guardian. Leaderless resistance, terrorism and political violence, vol. All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are. Gabriel weimann, lone wolves in cyberspace, journal of terrorism research vol.
Download understanding lone wolf terrorism in pdf and epub formats for free. In this article, we bring together suggestions about what a lone wolf profile might look like. The longterm trend away from violence planned and committed by groups and toward lone wolf terrorism is a worrying one. Studies on lone wolf terrorism remain few and many are plagued by methodological and conceptual limitations. We describe two very different cases of lonewolf terrorism. The book is divided into twelve chapters that discuss the definition of lone. Toward a heuristic definition, democracy and security vol. First, uniformed police and military personnel have become the primary target of lone terrorists. A second conclusion is that lonewolf terrorism is far more prevalent in the united states than in the other sample countries, with the us cases accounting for almost 42 percent of the total see table 6. Lone wolf terrorism was adopted by al qaeda after september 11, 2001, when us military forces attacked its operational base in afghanistan. Pdf download understanding lone wolf terrorism free. It is also the culmination of a lot of hard thinking about the interior world and entanglements of that most quintessentially american iteration of con temporary terrorism. Lone wolf attacks are becoming more common and more deadly. Former counter terrorism adviser to the white house richard clarke said, i dont think this was a lone wolf terrorist, i dont think this was a terrorist at all, i think this was someone who was committing suicide by police as a lot of people with mental problems do, and now, if they say theyre a terrorist, if they say theyre somehow.
Second, the usg should appoint clear leadership over the problem of lone wolf terrorism to streamline future policy. Problem growingthe term lone wolf is a relatively new one, but the phenomenon of lone wolf terrorism is one which is growing in both the united states and abroad. What drives the lone wolf terrorist to commit mass violence. An explanation and assessment claire wiskind, research assistant, ict summer 2016 the views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the international. Based on the above findings, the nscitf offers three recommendations. Lone wolf terrorists, who use bombs, firearms, knives, vehicles. Loneactor terrorism institute for strategic dialogue. A lone wolf terrorist is a person who acts on his or her own without orders from or connections to an organization. The age of lone wolf terrorism a massive study of lone actor terrorism in the united statesis the product of years of patient and dogged empirical investigation. The age of lone wolf terrorism columbia university press. Lone wolves come from a variety of backgrounds and can have a wide range of motives to their actions. In addition, we look into the challenge of countering lone wolf terrorism and map out possible responses to prevent attacks in this paper for the expert meeting entitled lone wolves. Ramon spaaij, one of the most prominent lone wolf terrorist researches. He, along with ramon spaaij, a sociologist at victoria university, built one of the dojfunded databases and will be publishing the data in the forthcoming book, the age of lone wolf terrorism.
All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of any individual authors employer andor the us government. A fter 911, lonewolf terrorism suddenly seemed like a distraction from more serious threats. Scholars also suggest that lone wolf terrorism what we refer to in this report as loneactor terrorism is more prevalent in the u. Future overthehorizon threats, such as the proliferation of new biotechnologies and amateur doityourself capabilities, pose a risk that lone wolves could develop weapons at a time when travel, access to knowledge, and dualuse technologies, in the globalizing environment, make lone wolf terrorists more dangerous. Understanding lone wolf terrorism book also available for read online, mobi, docx. Past experience and future outlook held at the potomac. This mistaken view often leads to the conclusion that fighting terrorism is like waging a war with large military units. Using knowledge of radicalization pathways to forge prevention strategies. An explanation and assessment claire wiskind, research assistant, ict summer 2016 the views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the international institute for counterterrorism ict. One of the first indepth analyses of lone wolf terrorism, this publication sets out to answer these questions. Understanding lone wolf terrorism book also available for read online, mobi, docx and mobile and kindle reading. Lone wolf terrorism remains an ambiguous and enigmatic phenomenon. Dickson 5 a narrower definition offered by spaaij 2010 attempts to isolate the phenomenon of lone wolf terrorism and specifies, a lone wolf terrorist may identify or sympathize with extremist movements or terrorist organizations, however if they join an established organization, they cease to be deemed as a lone wolf.
Data show that in terms of lethality, lone wolf terrorism in america is not increasing. We have seen an increase in the lone wolf type attacks, which, from a law enforcement and investigation perspective, are the most challenging. The second aspect includes the motivation of the lone wolves. Analysis of weak signals for detecting lone wolf terrorists.
Marlatt at the naval postgraduate school, contains a list of resources related to lone wolf terrorism. Trends and developments in lone wolf terrorism in the western. Isolated individuals using firearms with highcapacity magazines are committing brutally efficient killings with the aim of terrorizing others, yet there is little consensus on what connects these crimes and the motivations behind them. Intelligence reform and terrorism prevention act of 2004. Anders behring breivik and the anti islamic social movement. Even though available statistics suggest that lone wolf terrorists accounts for a rather small proportion of all. How radicalization to terrorism occurs in the united. Lonewolf terrorism is a growing concern for security and a puzzle for social science. An emerging threat 9 lonewolf terrorism continues to challenge law enforcement, counterterrorism and intelligence organizations across the united states.
Lone wolf terrorism, a case study by the european research consortium transnational terrorism, security and the rule of law lone wolf attackers a new york security concern. Lone wolf terrorism a brief bibliography compiled by greta e. Trends and developments in lone wolf terrorism in the. Lone wolf terrorism a brief bibliography updated august 2019 show summary open resource pdf open full abstract this bibliography, compiled by greta e. The second was an event on the lone wolf challenge. The current study adds to this growing literature by relying on lone wolf terrorism data recently made available by the american terrorism study ats. Those scholars who do choose to use the definition, define it in a multitude of ways. A lone wolf, in brief, is an individual or small group of individuals who use. The 19 men who carried out the attacks were jihadis who had been hand picked, trained, equipped and. First, the usg should adopt a standard definition of lone wolf terrorism. Understanding the growing threat kindle edition by simon, jeffrey d. Lone wolf terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
Trends and developments in lone wolf terrorism in the western world an analysis of terrorist attacks and attempted attacks by islamic extremists sarah teich, research assistant, ict october 20 the views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the international. Lone wolf terrorism a brief bibliography homeland security. Apr 19, 2015 based on direct contact with imprisoned lone wolf terrorists and a comparative analysis that distinguishes them from terrorists radicalized by and activated as a result of group planning, this research developed the largest and most comprehensive database ever created on lone wolf terrorism, along with a theoryinformed case study. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading lone wolf terrorism. The lethality of lonewolf terrorism has reached an alltime high in the united states. One was the international conference on lone wolf terrorism organized by the national centre for terrorist threat assessment november 12, 2011 in stockholm, at which the writer delivered an academic paper. Lone wolf amendment to the foreign intelligence surveillance act. Authorities have had far more success penetrating plots concocted by several people than individuals who act on their own. Still, it is undergoing two important changes in methods used. How can lone wolf terrorism be effectively countered. The age of lone wolf terrorism, coauthored by hamm and spaaij, examines the phenomenon of lone wolf terrorism in an attempt to delineate patterns that could help policy and law makers to identify and prevent terrorist incidents committed by single individuals.
The lethality of lone wolf terrorism has reached an alltime high in the united states. Leaders of al qaeda prompted their followers to take part in independent acts of violence against their perceived enemies at any given moment. Originalityvalue studies on lone wolf terrorism remain few and many are plagued by methodological and conceptual limitations. The boundaries of lone wolf terrorism are inevitably fuzzy and arbitrary. Well written and exhaustively researched, the age of lone wolf terrorism is an encyclopedia of information on the history, characteristics, methodology, and evolution of the lone wolf threat. Marlatt created september 20 last updated august 2019. Our findings are valuable for members of the law enforcement and intelligence. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
We describe two very different cases of lone wolf terrorism. The age of lone wolf terrorisma massive study of loneactor terrorism in the united statesis the product of years of patient and dogged empirical investigation. Research has shown that there is no profile of individual characteristics of groupbased terrorists, but profiling the characteristics of lone wolf terrorists may yet be possible. Click download or read online button to get lone wolf terrorism book now.
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