Terrorist Groups Research Articles

Manipulating Friends: Mossad's Covert Operations and Disinformation in Europe

Alongside targeted killing operations, intelligence agencies often organize disinformation campaigns to cast doubts about who is behind the murders. While there is a large body of literature that researches intelligence agencies’ efforts to influence the views of an enemy (such as propaganda or disinformation campaigns), this article looks at it differently: how does a disinformation campaign look like to influence the views of friendly counties or allies? The article focuses on specific reports sent by Mossad to European intelligence agencies during the early 1970s when Mossad was running a targeted assassination campaign in Europe. The reports that Mossad shared with its European partners provided alternative ways of interpreting Mossad assassinations. The article identifies two purposes of these cables beyond exchanging information: they allowed Mossad to feed disinformation to European agencies to deflect responsibility for the killings away from Israel. Later, they allowed European governments to plausibly deny knowledge of Israeli responsibility for Palestinian deaths and to continue to share intelligence with Mossad about Palestinian terrorist groups. This article advances current understandings of how states try to manipulate other states’ behaviour, and how friendly relations can be abused to foster one's own interests.

New Trends in the Procurement and Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Based on the presented classification of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the specifics of their use in modern conflicts are examined. The main trends in the procurement of UAVs are analyzed. It is indicated that the use of UAVs in combat is not limited to the functions of reconnaissance, target designation and strikes, as well as the detection and destruction of terrorist groups, as was the case in Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Thе UAVs are increasingly used within the framework of reconnaissance and strike complexes on the battlefield. The RD and production of small and mini-drones, as well as of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of remaining invulnerable to air defense systems, are actively developing. Other modern technologies of unmanned systems are being advanced. Due to the fact that in recent years the trend of massive use of small and mini-UAVs in conflicts has prevailed, supplies to the armed forces of various countries of heavy and a number of medium (tactical) high-altitude and medium-altitude drones are decreasing, while the purchases of small drones, as well as light civilian UAVs with reconfigured software, are increasing.

Terrorism in Nigeria: Exploring the causes and the rise of Boko Haram

Terrorism remains a significant challenge in Nigeria, with Boko Haram emerging as one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the region. This article explores the concept of terrorism, its various types, and the unique factors that have contributed to the rise of Boko Haram. By analysing the economic, political, and social dynamics of Nigeria, the article examines the root causes of terrorism in the country. Factors such as religious and cultural diversity, economic stagnation, and deep-rooted political corruption are identified as key drivers that have fuelled Boko Haram’s growth. The inability of Nigeria’s security and justice systems to effectively manage these challenges further exacerbates the problem. Moreover, the article discusses the broader implications of these factors on national stability, social cohesion, and regional security. Boko Haram's rise is not an isolated event but rather a complex interplay of various socio-political and economic issues. Understanding these underlying causes is essential to addressing the terrorist threat in Nigeria. The article concludes by suggesting that a holistic approach, involving both domestic reforms and international cooperation, is necessary to combat terrorism effectively and bring peace to the region

Motivated to Fight: Diverse Motivations of Foreign Fighters in the Russia–Ukraine War

Why fight for someone else’s war? This study explores the motivations of foreign fighters joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legion during the 2022 to 2023 phase of the Russia–Ukraine War. Unlike previous research centered on foreign nationals’ involvement in terrorist organizations and jihadist groups, particularly in the Middle East, this case captures a different trend characterized by institutionalized recruitment processes and tacit international support. Using an original data set of 296 pro-Ukraine fighters compiled from open-source materials, we analyze their stated motivations and demographic characteristics. We found motivations vary based on specific factors. Fighters’ origin includes Westerners fighters for empathy, altruism, and moral duty, while former Soviet fighters are driven by ideology and geopolitics. The complex and context-dependent nature of foreign fighter motivations is highlighted in this study, emphasizing how motivations can shift across time and context. This finding urges future research to consider both general and conflict-specific factors.

Itinerary of a Christian Ex-Boko Haram bomb maker in Cameroon

Abstract This paper is a biography of Paul, a Christian who joined Boko Haram and became one of its prominent bomb makers. After coming out of the underground, he became an army auxiliary in Kolofata and its environs, in the far north of Cameroon. Paul’s autobiographical narratives were cross-checked with other sources, including interviews with former insurgents and hostages, and officials of the Cameroonian army and the Multinational Joint Task Force. Paul’s narrative offers insight to understand why an individual would join, make a career in, and leave a terrorist group. His life story highlights the issue of human rights in the context of counterinsurgency and the importance of psychological operations in the fight against Boko Haram.

The Role of The Courts in The Application of Criminal Policy to Reduce Drug Crimes

The Iraqi judiciary has been keen to reduce crimes in general, and has paid a high degree of attention to drug crimes, because of their negative effects on the entire society, as the weakness of the state apparatus in general, and the spread of terrorist groups, in the past twenty years have led to an increase in these crimes, which prompted the Iraqi legislator to update the Drug Law No. ( 68 of 1965 ) by legislating the Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No. ( 50 of 2017), in addition to taking preventive measures concurrent with punitive measures, by working to create an environment free of elements that encourage the commission of this type of crimes, by removing the factors and circumstances that can contribute to the formation of the criminal personality. However, the judiciary has worked hard to reduce these crimes by forming courts specialized in the crimes of drugs and psychotropic substances in each governorate, and imposing the most severe penalties and measures on the perpetrators of this type of crimes.

The Rhetoric of Islamist Radical Organizations as a Method of Manipulating the Consciousness of Believers in the Late 20th – Early 21st Centuries

The article examines the influence of specific radical movements of Islam on their adherents through the linguistic attitudes. In the introduction, the author examines the general global reasons due to which a person in modern society is especially susceptible to various types of involvement in destructive cults. The main part of the article is devoted to the consideration of practical examples of verbal manipulations used by the Islamists. The paper also mentions extremist and terrorist organizations whose activities are prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation and discusses their distorted interpretations of classical theological texts. By analyzing specialized literature in Russian and Arabic, as well as empirically, the research reveals the ways to influence the personality of a believer through the language. The author of the publication personally held many meetings in pre-trial detention centers with those under investigation and accused on extremist and terrorist charges and collected a large amount of empirical material. A conclusion is drawn about the main linguistic manipulations of Islamist organizations.

Evaluating the New Impetus for Entrenching Entrepreneurship Culture in Nigeria (2010 and Beyond): Lessons and Future Public Policy Directions

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the impact of Nigeria’s entrepreneurship development policies on the emergence and performance of entrepreneurship in recent decades from 2010 to date. Methodology/Approach: The study adopted the periodisation paradigm to examine entrepreneurship development efforts at crucial turning points in Nigeria's development. Findings: The business environment has been hostile to entrepreneurship. However, the ICT and the creative industries sub-sectors recorded some successes. Nevertheless, the power, security, agriculture, and education sub-sectors performed unsatisfactorily. The government’s inability to overrun terrorist groups thwarted peace and security upon which development depended. High-level official corruption has been hobbling the implementation of entrepreneurship development policies in Nigeria. Implications: The study pointed at general and specific lessons derived from the hostile global and local/national environments for improving on entrepreneurship development policies. Originality value: Using a conceptual framework we developed, the study showed that security is an overriding factor in achieving success in entrepreneurship development. Contrary to the claims of some strategy scholars, strategic management is not a panacea for attaining successful entrepreneurship; what is crucially important for success are dynamic capabilities, context-driven public policies, and their competent implementation.

A Study on the Efficacy of Four Chemical Decontaminants against High-concentration Surrogates of Bacteria, Toxin, and Virus Biological Agents

If a nation or a terrorist organization produced biological agents, they are likely stored in a form of liquid concentrate. In the present study, four chemical reagents, hydrogen peroxide, sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), Perasafe, and DF200, were investigated on their potentials as safe, efficient and eco-friendly decontaminants for biological agents. <i>Escherichia coli</i>, α-amylase, and bacteriophage T4 were used as surrogate strains for biological agents. Hydrogen peroxide and DF200 showed drawbacks of a rapid heat evolution upon neutralization and thick foam building up, respectively. Perasafe was effective against <i>E. coli</i> and T4, but it did not inactivate α-amylase while the others were able to inactivate all three types of the surrogates. NaDCC was the most suitable decontaminant for its effectiveness against all three types of surrogates at low concentrations and being able to be neutralized without aforementioned problems.

Meanings of Basqueness: An Account from Brandomian Inferentialism on Basque Identity and Its Evolution

ABSTRACT In this paper, I will analyze how the conceptualization of the term ‘Basqueness’, and the meaning of ‘being Basque’, have been instrumental in determining the way in which citizens of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) have chosen to identify themselves. What it means to be Basque has experienced a significant evolution from its ethnic and linguistic origins to being a matter of feeling and doing; however, the way Basque citizens felt about Basqueness, and what actions participated in Basqueness, was substantially influenced by the climate of political polarization, the appropriation by nationalism of Basque symbols and features and the violence of terrorist organization ETA, as well as the justification of its crimes. Working from the semantic theory of Brandomian inferentialism, I want to show how these factors functioned as inferential relations that constituted the meaning of Basqueness. As these inferences changed with the dissolution of ETA and the easing of political polarization, what it means to be Basque has subsequently changed its meaning, which might contribute to explaining why in recent years an increasing number of people in the BAC have incorporated Basqueness into their mixed or liminal identities.

Dying to bankrupt: the effect of suicide terrorism on foreign direct investment

ABSTRACT Why do terrorist groups perpetrate suicide attacks? Political scientists maintain that terrorist groups adopt suicide terrorism for its strategic benefits. Yet previous studies have not demonstrated that suicide terrorism outperforms conventional terrorism. In fact, the most prominent studies do not even systematically compare the strategic effects of suicide terrorism to conventional terrorism to justify the cost. To date, the presumed strategic utility of suicide terrorism remains elusive. Although economists have assessed the impact of terrorism broadly on various economic measures, our study is the first to rigorously compare the effects of suicide terrorism to conventional terrorism on foreign direct investment. Consistent with bargaining theory, we find robust evidence that suicide terrorism “works” by depressing more than conventional attacks FDI in the target country. This effect is strong across PCSE model specifications, particularly in target countries weaker at counterterrorism. The study has important implications for both terrorism studies and international business.

Improving affected victims and communitie reintegration of former Boko Haram terrorist defectors in Nigeria: a community-informed participatory action research

ABSTRACT Reintegrating defectors of terrorist groups into society is challenging due to community resistance and affected victims’ trauma. This article is the first to detail affected victims and community involvement in designing a trauma-informed cognitive behaviour therapy intervention to aid the reintegration of former Boko Haram members and defectors in Nigeria. Participants were recruited from Borno state, Nigeria. Informed by a participatory action research design and a social constructionist theoretical lens, we found that agonizing experiences, resentment towards incentives provided to former defectors limit successful reintegration, whilst using Trauma-informed intervention to address community needs could improve reintegration. It concludes that affected victims and community involvement in the design of reintegration programmes is crucial to its success.

Verbal attacks on terrorist groups increase violence against civilians

Abstract Terrorists and other transnational extremist groups are responsible for thousands of civilian deaths. In confronting extremists, governments have relied heavily on threats, demands, denunciations, and other forms of verbal conflict. Do these efforts at verbal coercion have any effect on terrorist behavior? This analysis focuses on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which continues to be the world's deadliest terrorist group and was responsible for recent high-profile attacks in Baghdad, Vienna, Kabul, and Russia. We use Bayesian structural vector autoregression models to analyze daily event data on interactions between ISIS and foreign governments for the 2014–2020 period. We find that verbal conflict initiated by governments not only failed to deter ISIS but in fact increased the frequency of ISIS's attacks on civilians. Additional empirical analyses, combined with evidence from ISIS's publications and public statements, suggest that this effect resulted from a perceived credibility deficit. Extremists use terror attacks to signal that they have the capabilities and willingness to inflict pain and suffering on civilian targets. Government attempts to coerce extremist groups verbally, rather than militarily, reflect an underestimation of the group's capabilities and resolve. In an effort to solidify their reputations, extremists engage in further violence toward civilians, thus leading to worse humanitarian consequences. We extend the analysis to Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Boko Haram and find similar results.

Combating terrorist financing in cryptocurrency platforms: The role of AI and machine learning

This study addresses the critical issue of terrorist financing through cryptocurrency platforms, a growing concern due to digital currencies' pseudonymous nature and global reach. The research explores the strategic role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in identifying, preventing, and disrupting the flow of illicit funds used to finance terrorism. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates qualitative case studies of documented instances of cryptocurrency-based terrorist financing with quantitative data analysis from significant cryptocurrency exchanges. Advanced AI and ML algorithms, including supervised learning models such as decision trees and neural networks, were applied to detect suspicious transactions indicative of terrorist activities. The findings reveal that AI and ML technologies significantly enhance the ability to identify patterns of terrorist financing within large and complex datasets, with models achieving precision and recall rates exceeding 90%. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding the quality and standardization of data across platforms, algorithmic biases, and the need for continuous updates to counter evolving tactics used by terrorist organizations. The study concludes that AI and ML present powerful tools for enhancing financial security. However, their successful implementation requires overcoming these challenges through collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including financial institutions, regulators, and technology providers. This research contributes to the growing field of economic crime prevention by offering a robust framework for integrating AI-driven solutions into the fight against terrorist financing on cryptocurrency platforms.

From Oslo to Be’eri: how the 30-years-long peace delusion led to Hamas’s 10/7 massacres

ABSTRACT The failure to prevent Hamas’s slaughter of some 1,300 Israelis on 7 October 2023 – the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust – is a direct result of an emergency phone consultation three hours before the terror group’s invasion of Israel with the participation of the IDF’s and Shin Bet’s top leaders, who decided to do nothing despite acute warning signals and failed to alert the Gaza division commander and the political echelon to the imminent attack. Had they taken the minimal precautionary measures, the catastrophe would have been averted altogether. To fully understand the mindset underlying this monumental blunder requires tracing its evolution within the context of the 30-years-long Oslo peace delusion in general, and during the turbulent year preceding the 10/7 massacres in particular. That is: the substitution of a grand strategic deception aimed at Israel’s destruction for a true peace process and the attendant emasculation of the IDF’s military capabilities and combative/offensive ethos, on the one hand, and the unravelling of Israel’s sociopolitical fabric that culminated in the 2023 mass civil disobedience that enticed Hamas into action, on the other. Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposed the Oslo process from the outset and managed to neutralise its most catastrophic potential calamity – the establishment of a Palestinian state committed to Israel’s destruction in the West Bank and Gaza – failed to extricate Israel from this disastrous course and was ironically forced to bear its full brunt on 7 October 2023.

Study on the Interactive Mechanism between Racism and Terrorism in Europe

Given the growing racial and religious tensions in Europe and the frequent occurrences of terrorist activities, studying the correlation between the two can provide a theoretical basis for preventing terrorist activities. This study aims to explore the logical relationship and interaction mechanism between them. Taking the Paris terrorist attack in 2015 as an example, adopting the analytical dualism theory, this paper analyzes the mutual influence paths between racial discrimination and terrorist activities and discusses from cultural and structural perspectives the conditions under which racism becomes the hotbed for extremism, as well as the ways terrorist organizations manipulate racial issues to expand influence. The study concludes that racial divides in Europe provide a real basis for the spread of extremism, while extremist organizations also manipulate racial, customary, and religious emotions through online and offline means to expand influence, and the two reinforce each other. To thoroughly break this vicious cycle, positive multicultural identity needs to be promoted, structural discrimination between races needs to be eliminated at the social system level, and the independent thinking abilities and subjectivity of minority ethnic groups need to be enhanced to block the conduction of resentful emotions towards terrorism at its root.

Between Holocaust and National Tragedy – The Case of Israel

Thesis. The thesis of the article is to examine the discourse in Israel, which compares the events of the Holocaust in Europe in the twentieth century and the events of October 7, in which the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, murdering, raping and kidnapping hundreds of people. Concept. Regardless of the testimonies, terminology, and discourse in the public, leadership, and academic sphere linking the events of the Holocaust to those of the Swords of Iron war, there is room to inquire whether Holocaust-related concepts and displays can be used in reference to the events of October 7, 2023 in Israel, and to what degree. Do the comparison or similarity between the events result in disparagement or in reducing the enormity of the Holocaust, and to what degree, or do they on the contrary serve to illustrate these events? The study examines journalistic articles, both printed and digital, in several categories: ideology, symbols, and satire. All these were examined in three spheres: in the public-journalistic discourse, in the leadership-political discourse, and in the academic discourse. Results. The study shows that the discourse comparing the events of October 7 and the Holocaust exists both within the Israeli discourse and within the global discourse. Conclusion. In light of the comparison between the grave events, the research findings may have pedagogic and public implications for the narrative of the October 2023 events in Israel.

Социальная и личностная неопределенность как факторы социально-психологической устойчивости личности к вовлечению в террористическую организацию

Introduction. In the context of countering the ideology of terrorism, two main tasks are being solved: how to identify the most vulnerable social groups of the population to the perception of the ideas of terrorism and what preventive work should be carried out to weaken the effect of the ideology of terrorism. Theoretical analysis. It allows us to conclude that the degree of socio-psychological resistance of a person to involvement in a terrorist organization mainly depends on the recognition of the principles of national, political and religious doctrine by a person. The socio-psychological stability of a person to participate in terrorist acts is a personality quality consisting in a formed critical attitude towards terrorism, knowledge of the disastrous consequences of terrorism in society, and an active civic position, which includes rejection of terrorism. As a result, it can be argued that socio-personal uncertainty affects the socio-psychological stability of a person. Empirical analysis. Consideration of the problem of determining social and personal uncertainty on the socio-psychological stability of a person to involvement in terrorist activities has allowed us to conclude that socio-personal uncertainty affects the socio-psychological stability of a person. Conclusion social and personal uncertainty are a favorable environment for the formation of extremist views and justification of the ideology of violence, therefore it is necessary to introduce psychodiagnostic tools aimed at identifying the socio-psychological resistance of a person to involvement in terrorist activities.

Liberatory or predatory? Gendered perspectives on the role of women in the Weather Underground

ABSTRACT The Weather Underground is a group that has divided opinion for over half a century. To some, they were legitimate anti-war activists, to others they were one of America’s most notorious domestic terror groups. Much of the secondary literature describing the group has highlighted the role of women in the organisation, differentiating them from the typical male-dominated structures of radical and extremist groups. Using comparative autobiographical analysis, this project explores the extent to which this assessment of gender equality is accurate by evaluating how members of the group described their experiences in their own words. The analysis identifies gendered discrepancies in the portrayal of women in the movement. Where men were likely to have a positive recollection of the gender equality within the Weather Underground, the accounts of women tread a complex line between acknowledging both the liberatory elements and the sexism within the movement. This research helps to demonstrate the value of first-hand accounts rather than secondary literature in trying to understand the internal dynamics of a movement. It also highlights the need for nuance when discussing the role of women in extremism movements.

A Bipartite Network Analysis of Terrorism in Nigeria

Nigeria is home to a variety of terror groups, some of which receive little scholarly or media attention, but whose violent attacks cause significant casualties and instability. This analysis uses a bipartite network approach to examine terror groups in Nigeria between 2009 and 2019. We capture substantial variation among terrorist groups by state, target type and attack mode, and consider “unknown” terrorist offenders. Although Boko Haram is the dominant terrorist group, the Fulani extremists, IPOB, and others, are also prominent, with MEND especially active against oil infrastructure and in the Niger Delta region. This research finds that a bipartite network approach is effective for providing a more comprehensive understanding of terrorism dynamics, which is essential for effective counterterrorism policy and analysis.