Joining Al-Qaeda


Book Description

This paper explains the processes whereby European Muslims are recruited into the Islamist militant movement. It reveals that although overt recruitment has been driven underground, prisons and other 'places of vulnerability' are increasingly important alternatives.




Joining al-Qaeda


Book Description

In Britain alone, several thousand young Muslims are thought to be part of violent extremist networks. How did they become involved? What are the mechanisms and dynamics through which European Muslims join al-Qaeda and groups inspired by al-Qaeda? This paper explains the processes whereby European Muslims are recruited into the Islamist militant movement. It reveals that although overt recruitment has been driven underground, prisons and other ‘places of vulnerability’ are increasingly important alternatives. It explores the recruitment roles of radical imams, gateway organisations and activists, and highlights the kinds of message that facilitate the recruitment process. It also shows how the Internet has come to play an increasingly significant role. Neumann argues that there is little evidence of systematic, top-down jihadist recruitment in Europe. Rather, the activist leaders of cells increasingly drive the process. The paper explores possible options for European governments wishing to disrupt violent extremist networks, recognising that it will also be necessary to address some of the underlying risk factors that fuel jihadist recruitment. Ultimately, the major challenge for European states lies in constructing more inclusive societies in which the narratives of exclusion and grievance will not resonate to the benefit of recruiters to the extremist cause.




Zarqawi


Book Description

Presents the life of the Jordanian terrorist, discussing his childhood, his early forays into Afghanistan and Kurdistan, his imprisonment for terroristic activities, his entry into Iraq, and emergence as the leader of an international jihad network.




Agent Storm


Book Description

The true story of a jihadi convert seeking redemption in “a rollicking read and a rare insider’s account of Western spying in the age of al Qaeda” (The New York Times Book Review). Standing over six feet tall with flaming red hair, Morten Storm was an unlikely jihadi. But after a troubled youth in his native Denmark, Storm found peace and purpose in his conversion to Islam. His absolute devotion only grew after he attended a militant madrasa in Yemen, named his son Osama, and became close friends with American-born terrorist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Then, after a decade of jihadi life, he not only rejected extremism—he began a quest for atonement, becoming a double agent for the CIA as well as British and Danish intelligence agencies. Agent Storm takes readers inside the fanatical jihadist mindset and into the shadows of the world’s most powerful spy agencies in an action-packed account that “reads like a screenplay for a James Bond movie written by Joel and Ethan Coen” (The Washington Post).




Al-Qaeda


Book Description

Al-Qaida is a multi-national support group which funds and orchestrates the activities of Islamic militants world-wide. It grew out of the Afghan war against the Soviets, and its core members consist of Afghan war veterans from all over the Muslim world. Al-Qaida was established around 1988 by the Saudi militant Osama bin Ladin. Based in of Afghanistan, bin Ladin uses an extensive international network to maintain a loose connection between Muslim extremists in diverse countries. Working through high-tech means, such as faxes, satellite telephones, and the internet, he is in touch with an unknown number of followers all over the Arab world, as well as in Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada.




Stray Dogs and Virtual Armies


Book Description

Since 9/11, "homegrown terrorists" have planned or implemented terrorist activities, supported others' terrorist activities, or become radicalized in the United States and traveled abroad to conduct activities against other countries or the United States. This paper examines the cases of homegrown terrorism, highlights lessons learned from those cases that suggest future actions, and includes a chronology of terrorist events in the United States.




The Rise and Fall of Al-Qaeda


Book Description

The author re-evaluates the threat posed by Al-Qaeda following a decade of war.




Looking for a Fight


Book Description

Determining who seeks al-Qaeda membership and the strength of al-Qaeda's appeal is crucial to defeat al-Qaeda and prevent future radicalization. This report uses interviews and personal histories of 2,032 "foreign fighters" to explore why young men seek violent extremism. The report dispels common misconceptions about radicalization and recruiting. It reviews al-Qaeda's unique ideology and the media activities that have made it a popular global brand. The report categorizes potential recruits as: revenge seekers looking for an outlet for frustrations, status seekers looking for recognition, identity seekers looking for belonging in a group, and thrill seekers looking for an adventure. It clarifies each group's motivations and explains how each views the world. It proposes a prevention and communications strategy targeting the specific mental framework and psychological needs of each type to create a new dialogue with Muslims that fosters positive relations and erodes the appeal of al-Qaeda. It includes proposals for specific programs to amplify existing moderate Muslim voices who support U.S. objectives and the establishment of a U.S. Strategic Communications Agency with a Cabinet-level Secretary, dedicated funding, and a comprehensive, whole-of-government, strategy to build U.S. message credibility with honest, transparent dialogue that closes the "say-do" gap in recent foreign policy.




Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement


Book Description

Founded as the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, Al Qaeda achieved a degree of international notoriety with a series of spectacular attacks in the 1990s; however, it was the dramatic assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11 that truly launched Al Qaeda onto the global stage. The attacks endowed the organization with world-historical importance and provoked an overwhelming counterattack by the United States and other western countries. Within a year of 9/11, the core of Al Qaeda had been chased out of Afghanistan and into a variety of refuges across the Muslim world. Splinter groups and franchised offshoots were active in the 2000s in countries like Pakistan, Iraq, and Yemen, but by early 2011, after more than a decade of relentless counterterrorism efforts by the United States and other Western military and intelligence services, most felt that Al Qaeda's moment had passed.




United States of Jihad


Book Description

Presents a look at "homegrown" Islamist terrorism, from 9/11 to the present, discusses the perpetrators who have acted both in the U.S. and abroad, and examines the controversial tactics used to track potential terrorists. --Publisher's description.