The Evolution of Far-Right Terrorist Tactics and Targeting

Abstract

Far-right terrorism today poses perhaps the gravest terrorism threat to Western communities. Over the course of the past 50 years, however, the manifestations of such violence have shifted, as social media and strategic innovations such as leaderless resistance have impacted both the tactics and targeting involved in far-right violence. Today, lone actor attacks using firearms and targeting soft targets predominate, but terrorists nonetheless continue to innovate with technologies such as 3D-printing. Such developments hold considerable implications for counterterrorism practitioners, who must balance relatively simplistic yet lethal violence with the enduring possibilities of terrorist innovation using emerging technology.