Digital Commons Network^™

Regime Transitions, Democracy, And Terrorism In The Muslim World, Kevin Joyce

Honors Theses

In the 21st century, the Muslim world is continuously growing, in which Muslim’s make up approximately 24% of the world’s population. Additionally, the Muslim-majority countries, of which 50% or more of the population identify as Muslim, have lagged behind historically in democratizing. In many of these Muslim-majority countries, terrorism has an active presence and often times a destabilizing effect. In this study, I utilize the Global Terrorism Database, and other various data sources, to provide an empirical assessment of the political institutions of Muslim-majority countries, and their correlations to terrorism. I find that Muslim-majority countries in a state of failure …

Testing Competing Theories To Develop A Linguistic Assessment On Online Extremist Content, Matthew Dean

Theses and Dissertations

The development of threat assessment protocols has largely neglected a theoretical
foundation, leading to a multitude of protocols with little shared in the way of scientific
foundation. The focus of this study is to test components of two theories – Sternberg’s (2018) FLOTSAM Model and Maynard and Benesch’s (2016) Integrated Model of Dangerous Speech (IMDS) – as potential criteria to use in assessing the seriousness of online threats. This study utilized a dataset of 500 open-source online communications linked to the extremist QAnon movement. An EFA was used to pull an empirical model from the data. Three CFA and SEM …

Exploring Change And Stability In Counterterrorism Policy, Prosecution, And Sentencing Of Terrorists In America Over The Last Three Decades In The United States, Georgianna Grace Bettis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effects of legislation changes on how terrorists are adjudicated in American federal courts. The overarching question is: how have prosecutorial and sentencing outcomes changed in response to homeland security policy shifts over the last few decades? The project examines the impact of policy on changes to terrorists’ sentencing in three time periods, marked by three major events: The 1993 World Trade Center Attack, the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, and the attack on the Twin Towers (9/11/2001). In addition to terrorists’ demographic and background attributes (i.e., gender, age, terrorism category), the …

Leader Type And Responses To State-Sponsored Terrorism, Arjun Banerjee

Doctoral Dissertations

State-sponsored terrorism (SST) has for long been used as a tool by countries to inflict costs on rival states without direct confrontation, as the latter risks inviting limited to full-scale war. The literature on SST has so far focused primarily on the motivations, facilitating factors, and the timing of state sponsorship. What has been insufficiently studied, however, are the responses of victim states to SST. Why does state response to SST vary spatio-temporally in different countries, under different governments, and even under different leaders of the same ruling political dispensation in a country? Under what conditions does a state respond …

The Violence Induced By Climate Change: An Evolving Controversy, Josephine Kurdziel

Senior Theses

Climate-induced violence has become more prominent and scrutinized in research, media, and discussion in the last decade with the emergence of new patterns of violence. Conflicts have been scrutinized particularly in key regions and countries such as West Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, which are the focus of the three case studies in this paper. The research is centered on several types of violence such as civil war and terrorism, and then further expanded to how climate change may or may not influence their patterns. Correspondingly, there is also an analysis on the importance of state stability and …

The Elusive And Complex Parabolic Relationship Between Terrorism And Gdp Per-Capita, Kianna Becker

Honors Capstones

The 21st century saw a dramatic focus on terrorism after the events of September 11, 2001. The search for an explanation for the causes of terrorism have led economists to turn to the role of GDP on terrorism. This research aims to search for a pattern in the relationship between GDP per-capita and acts of terrorism. Previous research has pointed towards both a positive and negative trend. The stark different findings in previous research attests to the various ways terrorism is measured and analyzed. Encapsulating the previous research, this research merges the two theories and aims to show there is …

Terrorism: A Case Study Of The Global Security Threat Of Boko Haram And The Isis Alliance In Nigeria, Emmanuel Ben-Edet

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The literature on terrorism indicates that religion, cultures of origin, and environmental factors play globally critical roles in the emergence of terrorist groups worldwide. Terrorists use violence and threats to strike fear and intimidate people and governments into pursuing their religious, political, and ideological goals. One of the deadliest jihadist groups, Boko Haram, emerged in the early 2000s with a jihadist agenda mainly focused on Nigeria’s Islamization. In 2009, it launched violent attacks in Nigeria, which is Africa’s largest economy, and currently controls a large swathe of territory in its northeastern part. In its desire to create a caliphate, Boko …

Law Enforcement Policy And Personnel Responses To Terrorism: Do Prior Attacks Predict Current Preparedness?, Bryce Kirk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terrorism has been on the mind of the American people and politicians alike since the 9/11 attacks over two decades ago. In the years since, there has been a massive shift in law enforcement priorities from community-oriented policing (COP) to homeland security-oriented policing. This was especially evident in the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, which was established to aid law enforcement entities with terrorism preparedness. While prior literature has addressed a variety of factors that have contributed to terrorism preparedness, very little research has …

Gender, Terrorism, And Nation-Building: A Comparative Study Of Chechnya's Black Widows And The Female Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam, Rachel Kadar

International Studies (MA) Theses

This research examines the historical context of female terrorists in Chechnya (referred to as Black Widows) as well as the female participants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The author explores women’s motivations for joining each of the conflicts, as well as the shifting role of women within terrorist organizations. Outcomes for women in civil society in both Chechnya and Sri Lanka after they leave the patriarchal structure of the military are also examined.

The International Perception Of The Irish Republican Army And Chechen Insurgency, Henry Forteith

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This purpose of this project is to examine how the labels used to describe the Irish Republican Army and Chechen insurgency changed after certain acts of violence. This paper begins by describing the history of imperial subjugation of Ireland and Chechnya, as well as examining the similarities between the actions and motivations of the IRA and Chechen insurgency. Then, to study the change in language to describe these groups, two searches were conducted into the New York Times and International Newsstream databases. The first search examined articles about the IRA and Chechen insurgency published between 1998 and 2009, while the …

From Pacifism To Pipe Bombs: A History Of The Extremist Anti-Abortion Movement In The United States, Stella Masucci

Senior Theses

This paper traces the history of the extremist wing of the anti-abortion movement, both the violent and non-violent branches, from its origins in the 1970s. The movement began with local, leftwing Catholic groups conducting “sit-ins,” then turned into a massive crusade of fundamentalist conservatives under Randall Terry’s group Operation Rescue. I also examine the movement’s descent into violence in the 1980s and 1990s and the federal government’s response to this threat, namely the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act in 1994, and how it has shaped both the pacifist and violent branches of the movement in the years since. …

Interpreting 9/11: Religious Or Political Event?, Fadime Apaydin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terrorism or violence can be triggered by a variety of circumstances, including the religious, cultural, political, or economic conditions of the social environment, as well as the perpetrator’s personal characteristics. However, studies conducted in the aftermath of 9/11 have largely described the attacks as religious events, arguing that religion inherently causes violence or that religion is the main motivation for violence. The primary argument for the approach adopted by such studies is that secular institutions are inclined to be less violent than religious ones. A second approach, on the other hand, fundamentally opposes the arguments that led to describing the …

Destabilizing Terrorist Networks, John Keane

Dartmouth College Undergraduate Theses

Terrorism is a threat to global security and instills fear in the lives of people across the world. Over the past decades, billions in \$USD have been invested in counter-terrorism efforts. One approach to counter-terrorism is to destabilize terrorist organizations such that they are less effective at carrying out attacks. Previous work has investigated how to best proceed in this direction, such as which terrorists to target. Terrorist organizations have also been modeled as networks, where nodes can represent factions and/or terrorists. Research has been done to understand the network dynamics and link the structure of such networks to their …

A Conscious Image Of Liberation: Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Eta) In The Late Franco Regime, Through The Lens Of The Press, Sebastian De Lasa

Honors Projects

The rise of Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) in the early 1970s coincided with the rise of national liberation movements across Europe, which largely were inspired by notable examples of resistance throughout the Global South in the decades prior. ETA’s growth over this period, and in the years prior, was heavily dependent on the image created of the organziation in the local, domestic, and international press, including through documents distributed by the group itself. By comparing ETA’s external presence to the group’s internal strife, it becomes clear that ETA made efforts to align itself with the popular revolutionary language of the …

Terrorism Preparedness, Collaboration, And Organizational Culture In The National Capital Region, Anderson Percival Padmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Terrorism preparedness is essential for federal, state, and local governments. However, literature indicated that local governments may not be ready to respond to a terrorist event. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine terrorism preparedness levels related to collaboration in the National Capital Region (NCR) of the United States to determine first responders’ perspectives regarding challenges of organizational change. The research questions for this study concentrated on the evaluation of terrorism- preparedness and organizational changes among first response agencies since 2014, Schein’s ideas of organizational cultural change were the theoretical foundation. Four NCR public safety agencies were …

Applying Situational Crime Prevention To Terrorism Against Stadiums, Emanuel Maurice Yeoman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to recent studies, there has been increasing concern of terrorist threats to U.S. stadiums. The research problem is that existing U.S. stadium policies, procedures, and plans do not adequately address evacuation of special populations in the event of a terrorist threat. There is a particular concern regarding the adequacy of existing stadium evacuation plans for patrons with special needs. In the current study there were three research questions examining the organizational deficiencies and best practices of stadium evacuation plans currently in place to respond to terrorist threats How situational crime prevention (SCP) can help in the identification of deficiencies …

Nonreligious Explanations Of Boko Haram’S Resilience In Nigeria, Jimmy Imo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past decade, Boko Haram has become one of the world’s deadliest terror organizations. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore nonreligious explanations for the problem of resilience of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Rational choice theory provided the primary framework for the study. Data were collected through in-person and telephone interviews with 14 religious and government subject matter experts. Other sources of data included media publications, documents, audio-visual materials, and the internet. Data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis. Findings showed that instead of religious ideology, Boko Haram’s resilience was due to poor policy …

Criminal Liabilities Of Boko Haram In Nigeria, Dilibe Eche

Theses and Dissertations

One major problem that has posed a great threat to the Nigerian Nation is Boko Haram or rather the Boko Haram militant group.

What this paper intends to do is to analyze the criminal liabilities of the Boko Haram militant group in Nigeria in both domestic and international law.

I see this paper primarily as timely because a lot has been said about Boko Haram, in Nigeria, but yet there is much we still do not know about Boko Haram, its criminal liabilities, origin structure, size and method of operation still remains a mirage and a mystery. This dissertation will …

Usafricom: An Analysis Of The United States Africa Command And The Forces That Legitimize And Justify Us Military Presence In Africa, Alexis Osifo

Scripps Senior Theses

This essay analyzes the United States of America’s military presence on the African continent through the US Africa Command or AFRICOM. I hope to contextualize the creation of AFRICOM by outlining the events and reasonings for establishing the military command center. Moreover, I analyze the discourses of humanitarianism and securitization on the African continent and the producers and distributors of such ideological discourses in academia, media, government and private corporations. While situating these discourses within a larger framework of colonial and imperial ventures, I plan on investigating how such ideological narratives work to legitimize and preempt military operations and presence …

Terrorism Preparedness, Collaboration, And Organizational Culture In The National Capital Region, Anderson Percival Padmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Terrorism preparedness is essential for federal, state, and local governments. However, literature indicated that local governments may not be ready to respond to a terrorist event. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine terrorism preparedness levels related to collaboration in the National Capital Region (NCR) of the United States to determine first responders’ perspectives regarding challenges of organizational change. The research questions for this study concentrated on the evaluation of terrorism- preparedness and organizational changes among first response agencies since 2014, Schein’s ideas of organizational cultural change were the theoretical foundation. Four NCR public safety agencies were …

The Leveling Spirit: Violence And Inequality In Postwar Iraq, Griffin Perrault

Honors Theses

The Iraq War (2003–2011) constitutes by some estimates one of the deadliest and most destructive conflicts of the 21st century (Hagopian et al., 2013). In addition to the disputed figures of excess violent civilian casualties––generally ranging from 180,000 to 210,000 deaths––the war has created one of the major refugee crises of modern times, with 1 in 25 Iraqis estimated to have been displaced from their homes by the 2003 invasion (Costs of War, 2021). While much of this violence has been wrought by American and Iraqi coalition troops, violence against civilians has also been perpetuated by insurgent groups and paramilitary …

Analysis Of Non-Conventional Radiological Terrorism, James N. Padgett

Theses and Dissertations

Nuclear terrorism has been a risk since the dawn of the first atomic bomb. Though state sponsored nuclear weapons development is of concern for countries, non-state sponsored terrorism with radiological material can be of even greater concern. This stems from the fact that the material is under less stringent or no safeguards and can readily change hands between different terrorist groups or innocent civilians may accidently come into contact with the material.

Within this paper an analysis of previous accidents using orphan radiological sources, malicious use of orphan radiological sources, and how these sources could be used by terrorists is …

Exploring Cyberterrorism, Topic Models And Social Networks Of Jihadists Dark Web Forums: A Computational Social Science Approach, Vivian Fiona Guetler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This three-article dissertation focuses on cyber-related topics on terrorist groups, specifically Jihadists’ use of technology, the application of natural language processing, and social networks in analyzing text data derived from terrorists' Dark Web forums. The first article explores cybercrime and cyberterrorism. As technology progresses, it facilitates new forms of behavior, including tech-related crimes known as cybercrime and cyberterrorism. In this article, I provide an analysis of the problems of cybercrime and cyberterrorism within the field of criminology by reviewing existing literature focusing on (a) the issues in defining terrorism, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism, (b) ways that cybercriminals commit a crime in …

War Tourism: A New Brand Of Foreign Fighter, Scott Mowat

CMC Senior Theses

Private citizens engaging in foreign conflicts have garnered increasing media and scholarly attention in the past couple of decades. Conflicts around the world have drawn the attention of private citizens seeking to actively participate for many reasons. However, most academic analysis of foreign fighters or volunteers has focused explicitly on Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) or individuals joining extremist or terrorist groups. No comprehensive study has focused on the motivations and reasoning of war tourists or foreign fighters joining non-terrorist organizations. This thesis explores the under-analyzed cross-section of foreign fighters participating in war zones, mainly focusing on fighters joining organizations not …