Tag Archives: ISIS

29Set/23

Time to be realistic about Swarmcast2.0 – by Ali Fisher

Intelligence, Security, Terrorism, , , ,

For all the meetings, presentations and reports from embedded academics and industry groups, purporting to show success against Salafi-Jihadi groups, the movement is still comfortably able to disseminate content through Swarmcast2.0.

The Western metanarrative has long been accepted by the orthodoxy of Terrorism Studies. However, while claims of success resonate at events hosted by industry funded bodies, the challenge encapsulated by Swarmcast2.0 remains. Salafi-Jihadi groups and the media mujahidin maintain persistent networks which function across multiple platforms simultaneously.

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07Feb/23

Towards a more progressive approach to studying the Salafi-Jihadi movement – by Ali Fisher

Intelligence, Sociology, Technology, Terrorism, , , ,

The ongoing struggle against the Salafi-Jihadi movement will require reflection on multiple levels to achieve a genuinely progressive and evidence-based approach. This reflection will focus on developing an authentic understanding of:

  • Their core purpose – their theology expressed in hundreds of thousands of pages of text, along with days of audio and video content.
  • The strategic communication approaches which underpin their da’wa; the missionary work often referred to by Western research as recruitment or radicalization. Such understanding will include how Salafi-Jihadi groups exploit the internet for strategic communication.
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31Gen/23

Holocaust Remembrance Day attack in Jerusalem: Comments from a European security perspective – by Maria Alvanou

Communication, Surveillance, Terrorism, , ,

The phrase “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” has been used in the discussion for decades now regarding whether violence conducted by Palestinians against Israelis constitutes terrorism or not. Different geopolitical interests, ideological approaches, historical accounts, and even personal affiliations, in conjunction with the complexity of the Middle Eastern issue and the grievances people have been facing in this area, have led to different characterizations. Some have called them terrorism, others insurgency or resistance. And indeed, from an operational point of view, when attacks have been aiming at military targets, things can be blurred. However, there have been some true textbook cases of terrorism. Such a case has been the one of January 27th, 2023, that has led UN Spokesperson, António Guterres to state: “There is never any excuse for acts of terrorism.  They must be clearly condemned and rejected by all.”[1]  

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19Nov/21

I “Leoni dei Balcani” e la rete albanese-kosovara che raggiunge Milano – by Giovanni Giacalone

Terrorism, , , ,

L’arresto della diciannovenne Bleona Tafallari, avuto luogo a Milano in via Padova mercoledì 17 novembre, ha riacceso nuovamente i riflettori sul pericolo di matrice jihadista targato Isis. Un pericolo che in realtà non si era mai ridimensionato ma era semplicemente latente, oltre che messo in terzo piano dai media in un periodo in cui l’attenzione è monoliticamente rivolta al contesto sanitario. Continue reading →

30Apr/21

L’agguato ai reporter spagnoli in Burkina e la presenza jihadista nel Sahel -by. G. Giacalone

Terrorism, , ,

Martedì 27 aprile il Ministero degli Esteri spagnolo rendeva nota la morte dei reporter David Beriain e Roberto Fraile, uccisi in un attacco perpetrato da presunti jihadisti nel sud-est del Burkina Faso; nell’assalto rimaneva ucciso anche il cittadino irlandese Rory Young, a capo dell’organizzazione Chengeta Wildlife, molto attiva nell’anti-bracconaggio in tutto il Continente nero. Continue reading →

10Nov/20

Terror in Vienna: a risk assessment perspective – by Jörg Peschak

Terrorism, , , ,

On the night before the second lockdown on November 2nd, 2020 at 8 pm, Austria’s capital was hit by a terrorist attack. On the macrolevel, it is the latest of a series of events that began in France with the republication of the caricatures of Charly Hebdo followed by the beheading of a teacher for showing the caricatures and an attack on people at the cathedral in Nice. Now the scene moved to Vienna. But why Austria? Could it have been prevented? Continue reading →

30Giu/20

Three generations of jihadist preachers in Italy compared – by Alessandro Boncio

Terrorism, , , ,

Introduction. The period of jihadi terrorism that Western countries are experiencing currently, could be labelled as a moment of reshaping and transformation. Following the collapse of its Syrian-Iraqi creature, ISIS is repositioning itself physically and ideologically; at the same time, al-Qa’ida linked groups are constantly strengthening its files and ranks, still strong of its cultural appeal[2]. Continue reading →

28Apr/20

Cyberwar: atomizzazione della rete e minacce ibride – by Francesco Balucani

Terrorism, , ,

La nascita di Internet, originariamente inteso come strumento di empowerment per la comunità scientifica, e lo sviluppo progressivo di una dimensione cibernetica sempre più estesa e ramificata, hanno imposto degli sforzi originali da parte degli Stati nazione per assicurare la sicurezza nazionale nella cosiddetta quinta dimensione della conflittualità. Continue reading →