TERRORISM STUDIES

By Ioannis Mantzikos
(PhD candidate at the Free State University of South Africa & RIEAS Research Associate)

Copyright: http://warontherocks.com/2014/11/joining-and-betraying-al-qaeda-a-how-to-guide/ Publication Date on RIEAS (www.rieas.gr) on 5 March 2015

Agent Storm feels like a James Bond story or one of John Le Carre's marvelous spy-thrillers. Yet, the story written by CNN's Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister is a true account. The journey of Morten Storm provides valuable insights into high-stakes intelligence operations, as well as the social issues surrounding radicalization and extremism. It is a first-rate account of how a troubled young Danish Christian, with a history of petty criminality, incarceration and drug use converted to Islam and entered into its most extremist jihadi circles in Denmark and Britain, ultimately becoming a trusted member of al-Qaeda (AQ). Storm represents the highest level of Western intelligence penetration of AQ's most dangerous affiliate – al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP...Read more

Yannick Veilleux-Lepage

(PhD candidate at the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, located at the University of St. Andrews. His doctoral research focuses on the historical antecedents, and the evolution of, modern terrorism. He holds a Masters of Arts in International Affairs (Conflict Analysis) and a Bachelors of Arts in Directed Interdisciplinary Studies (Security Studies) from Carleton University, Canada).

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date on 31 January 2015.

In recent months, western intelligence officials and policy makers have been continuing to grow increasingly concerned that a new wave of terrorism will soon sweep over Europe, driven by the civil war in Syria and the continuing instability in Iraq. Many of these concerns stem from upwards of 3,000 foreign fighters travelling from Western countries to swell the ranks of the Islamic State (IS) and the fear of 'blowback' ("Islamic State crisis," 2014). Ultimately, the concern is that westerners who have joined the Islamic State will return further radicalized, battle-hardened, and influenced by extensive radical networks and that they might be more likely to commit terrorist attack on their home soil. The recent attacks on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, allegedly committed by a French national returning from fighting in Syria, seems to confirm that these fears may indeed be founding in reality.... Read more

Yoram Schweitzer

(An expert on international terrorism and head of the INSS Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict, has been a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), which incorporated the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies (JCSS), since February 2003, following a distinguished career in the Israeli intelligence community as well as in the academic world).

Oded Eran

(A senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, served as director of INSS from July 2008 to November 2011, following a long career in Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government positions).

Copyright: The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS-no 654), Israel

The shock that gripped France following the terrorist attacks in Paris in early January 2015 will probably wane as time passes. Similarly, the urgency assigned to effective handling of the danger originating on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq that threatens Western democracies will likely decline. The need to take up the challenge will be postponed to a time when the leaders of Western countries have no choice but to deal with it directly, on a broad scale, and perhaps violently. Presumably only a chain of exceptional events, i.e., showcase terrorist attacks that cause a large number of casualties, will unequivocally highlight the risk incurred in not stepping up the military struggle against the challenge to the West posed by the Islamic State organization... Read more

Anis H. Bajrektarevic
(Professor in international law and global political studies, based in Vienna, Austria, His previous book titled Geopolitics of Technology – Is There Life after Facebook? is published by the New York's Addleton Academic Publishers. His forthcoming book titled Geopolitics – Europe 100 years later is coming soon)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr)
Publication date: 10 January 2015

There is a claim constantly circulating the EU: 'multiculturalism is dead in Europe'. Dead or maybe d(r)ead?... That much comes from a cluster of European nation-states that love to romanticize their appearance in prism of the solid Union, as if they themselves lived a long, cordial and credible history of multiculturalism. Hence, this claim is of course false. It is also cynical because it is purposely misleading. No wonder, as the conglomerate of nation-states/EU has silently handed over one of its most important debates – that of European anti-fascistic identity, or otherness – to the wing-parties, repeatedly followed by the selective and contra-productive foreign policy actions....Read more