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Are We Prepared? A Qualitative Multiple Case Study On Multijurisdictional Readiness And Response Capabilities For Atypical Complex Coordinated Incidents Involving Mass-Casualty Cbrne Threats In The State Of Washington, Christopher J. Gard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Complex coordinated terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) elements, along with active shooter threats, pose significant challenges for first-responding law enforcement officers. Responding to active threats where civilian lives are at immediate risk of serious injury or death requires an immediate, decisive response from the initial officers on the scene. When responders learn that perpetrators have dispersed one or more CBRNE-related weapons during an ongoing violent spree, on-site law enforcement personnel must be appropriately trained and adequately equipped to quickly and decisively confront and neutralize the attacker(s). Because prolonged federal CBRNE response assets can be delayed …

From Monopoly To Orchestration: The Hilltop And Farm Youth And The Changing Organization Of State Coercion - The Israeli Case, Idan Yaron

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

Drawing on more than a decade of ethnographic fieldwork – as a social anthropologist, studying the Far Right in Israel, on the ground, and through intimate and prolonged relationships with opinion leaders and rank-and-file activists – this essay examines the Hilltop and Farm Youth in the West Bank to reconsider Charles Tilly's influential account of state formation and the organization of coercion. It asks a simple but troubling question: why would a powerful modern state, fully capable of suppressing autonomous violent actors, sometimes allow them to persist? I argue that Tilly's theory should be confirmed, adapted, and amended. His fundamental …

Book Review: Security In The 21st Century Europe, Ionut Popescu

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Andrew Cottey

Reviewed by: Ionut Popescu, associate professor of political science, Texas State University

Europe’s security landscape has shifted dramatically, shaped by new threats like terrorism, energy dependence, and climate change. Security in the 21st Century Europe by Andrew Cottey offers a comprehensive analysis of how traditional interstate conflict has given way to complex policy dilemmas on the continent’s periphery. With a blend of theory and real-world case studies, this essential text explores how NATO, the EU, and national governments are adapting to a transformed strategic environment.

©2026 Ionut Popescu

“As The Developing Situation Warrants”: U.S. Counterterrorism Policy Considered Through The 1994 Gerry Adams Visa Debate, Olivia T. Sullivan

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

This thesis analyzes the 1994 U.S. decision to grant Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams a visa and what it reveals about American counterterrorism policy in the immediate post–Cold War period. Long suspected of senior involvement in the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the Troubles (1968–1998), Adams had previously been denied entry under terrorism-related immigration provisions. His case became a flashpoint inside the U.S. government: officials debated whether diplomatic opportunity, domestic political incentives, and momentum toward peace in Northern Ireland warranted a departure from the prior “no concessions” posture toward IRA-linked figures. Situating the controversy within U.S. terrorism discourse from the …

Book Review: A Military History Of The New World Disorder: 1989–2022, James Andrew Nichols

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Jonathan M. House

Reviewed by: Lieutenant Colonel James Andrew Nichols, US Army War College class of 2024

In A Military History of the New World Disorder: 1989–2022, Jonathan M. House explores how the collapse of the Soviet Union gave rise not to global stability, but to a chaotic new era of fragmented conflicts and shifting military strategies. From Iraq and Afghanistan to Syria and Ukraine, House examines how world powers adapted—or failed to adapt—to a world without a clear strategic framework. This sweeping analysis reveals the complex interplay between political decisions and battlefield realities in the post–Cold War …

Academic Year 2026–27 Annual Estimate Of The Strategic Security Environment, Us Army War College

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The Academic Year 2026–27 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment provides a framework for those aspiring to tackle the Department of War’s most pressing challenges. This year’s authors highlight trending challenges and identify potential tension points across 10 sections organized under the broad themes of 1) Regional Challenges and Opportunities and 2) Institutional Challenges. This assessment represents the collective expertise of the US Army War College. The narrative is supplemented by a tailored list of 105 command-sponsored questions from 47 different Army and Joint organizations from across the Department of War. Combined, the distinct yet complementary narrative and question …

Critical Geopolitics And The Reconstruction Of Meaning: A Discourse Analysis Of The 'Terrorism' Label Applied To Hamas By Western Hegemony, Cahaya Mulyani Sakti, M.Hamdan Basyar

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The emergence of Hamas in 1987 cannot be separated from the configuration of modern colonialism and the continuity of occupation that shaped the political reality. Hamas’s early phase was rooted in socio-religious activities through education and community empowerment programs, before evolving into armed resistance against the occupation. The labeling of Hamas as a “terrorist” organization began in the mid-1990s in U.S. legal documents, which subsequently generated debate and gave rise to counter-narratives. This study employs the frameworks of critical geopolitics (Ó Tuathail & Agnew) and the Discourse-Historical Approach (Wodak) to analyze the labeling of Hamas as “terrorist” by Western hegemony. …

Hybrid Threats In The Lake Chad Basin: The Nexus Between Terrorism, Illicit Wealth, And Transborder Crime, Cletus C. N. Nwadiogbu

Journal of Terrorism Studies

Threats to security in the Lake Chad Basin have changed over the years and hybrid elements have become interweaved. Sustained Boko Haram and ISWAP activities have increased the insecurity in the region, enabling the mixing of armed insurgency and organized criminals, including narcotics dealers, extortion rackets, arms trafficking, drugs production and smuggling, kidnapping and fuel smuggling among Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon states. Nexus elements of illicit wealth, illicit transborder crime and terrorism were thus analysed as interdependent and contributing elements to Hybrid threats in the Basin. The study used a hybrid design (qualitative-quantitative) documenting data from the following institutions: …

Taylor Swift And The Social Construction Of Risk: Harms Realized And Avoided, Jack L. Rozdilsky, Talia Shortt

The Manuscript: Journal of Taylor Swift Studies

An especially difficult ten-day period for Taylor Swift and her fans occurred in late July to early August 2024 as the Eras Tour was wrapping up its European leg.  On July 29, 2024, a Taylor Swift themed yoga and dance workshop taking place in Southport, United Kingdom, was attacked.  A disaster was realized as three children were killed during a criminal mass stabbing attack.  On August 7, 2024, a sequence of three Eras Tour concerts intended to be held in Vienna, Austria, was suddenly cancelled due to the discovery of an anticipated terrorist attack that was in the advanced stages …

A National Security Strategy For The Middle East, Vanessa Rice, Rudy Torres, Addy Horgan, Joy Omosa, Mark Westfall

School of Public Policy Capstones

This National Security Strategy addresses the persistent national security challenges the United States faces in the Middle East, a region vital for global energy supply, economic connectivity, and a source of anti-American extremism. Recognizing the failures of past "haphazard experimentation," the strategy proposes a thoughtful, pragmatic plan prioritizing five distinct and congruent interest areas: Maintaining Regional Access, Supporting Regional Stability, Ensuring Energy Security, Defending American Citizens and Personnel, and Preserving and Protecting Western Ideals. The strategy outlines actions such as: countering Chinese and Russian influence through intelligence sharing and defense incentives; containing Iran via a new, permanent nuclear deal and …

Book Review: Crisis And Crossfire: The United States And The Middle East Since 1945 – Second Edition, Phil Messer

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Peter L. Hahn

Reviewed by: Colonel Phil Messer

From the Arab-Israeli peace process to the fight against terrorism, Hahn’s updated history reveals the forces shaping US policy in one of the world’s most volatile regions.

Revisionist Political Coalitions, Queering, And The Transmission Of Violence, Tom Y. Inouye

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the ways in which violent non-state actors (VNSAs), specifically revisionist political coalitions (RPCs), emerge from a state-centric international system that denies them access to formal avenues of political advocacy, legitimacy, and recognition. Challenging dominant portraits in international security that cast non-state-perpetrated violence as irrational or deviant, I argue that RPCs turn to brutality as a strategic response to exclusion produced by the Westphalian paradigm. Queer theory, particularly the concepts of legibility and strategic disidentification, is central to the reconceptualization of RPCs as “queered” political objects whose existence falls outside the normative boundaries of sovereignty and legitimacy.

To …

The Dynamics Of Terrorism And Counter-Terrorism: The South Africa Experience, Oluranti Samson Afowowe

Journal of Terrorism Studies

Defining Terrorism within the context of South African government promulgated Terrorism Act of 1967 as’ action(s) that endanger the maintenance of law and order’, innocuously suggest that the phenomenon of terrorism in South African political space is not a recent development. This study examines the historical, socio-economic and demographic dis-equilibrium as indicative factors of terrorism within the context of South Africa. Theoretical postulations on the phenomenon of terrorism within the context of South Africa state experience also engaged the attention of this study. Attempts are made to identify the nexus between social relationships and the nature, essence and political dimensions …

State Narrative Dominance In Terrorism Reporting: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Kompas Coverage, Putri Khairunnisa

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This study examines Kompas.com’s news construction of the bombing at the Makassar Cathedral Church on 28 March 2021 by integrating Entman’s Media Framing theory with Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis. Using all news reports published between 28 March and 5 April 2021, the study finds that Kompas frames the event through security-oriented diction, agent–action structures that foreground state authorities as the primary actors, and high-modality statements that minimize uncertainty during the early crisis phase. Intertextual references to previous terrorism cases accelerate the labeling of the perpetrators as part of the JAD network. At the level of discursive practice, reliance on official …

Academic Year 2025–26 Annual Estimate Of The Strategic Security Environment, Us Army War College

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Maintaining strategic advantage demands professional discourse from across the force. The Academic Year 2025–26 Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment provides a framework for those aspiring to tackle the Department of Defense’s most pressing challenges. This year’s authors highlight trending challenges and identify potential tension points across 15 sections organized into four enduring themes. This survey of regional, domestic, and institutional challenges represents the collective expertise of the US Army War College. The narrative is supplemented by a tailored list of 100 command-sponsored questions from 43 different Army and Joint organizations from across the Department of Defense. Combined, the …

How Do The Conflicts In The Middle East And The Crisis At The Southwestern Land Border Increase The Risk Of Terrorism In The United States?, Bradly Perkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative dissertation provides an in-depth analysis of the intricate relationship between the persistent geopolitical instability in the Middle East, the complex crisis at the United States' Southwestern Border, and the associated terrorist threats facing the United States. Despite the pressing nature of these interconnected challenges, there is a notable scarcity of scholarly literature that effectively establishes links between the issues at the Southwestern Border, the conflicts occurring in the Middle East, and the risks of terrorism. This gap in research highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of these global security concerns, emphasizing how they interact and influence one …

The Evolution Of India’S ‘Counter-Terrorism (Ct)’ Policy In The 21st Century, Mule Rohit Ashok

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The changing nature of modern terrorism has proved a major threat to the global security architecture. The 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States of America, the world's ‘Police State’, is apparent. Consequently, the international community launched collective fights at different levels to deal with it. However, the nation-state at the individual level also designed a ‘Counter-Terror (CT)’ policy mechanism within the scope of the foreign policy paradigm to safeguard national security. India, since its independence, has consistently faced security challenges from terrorism from its neighbours, and has followed the same suit. The major CT policy was grounded in the …

Exploring The Dark Horizon : Artificial Intelligence (Ai) As Cyberterrorism Tools, Krisnayanto Krisnayanto, Suryadi Suryadi

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This Journal utilizes a thorough literature review approach to explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential use as a tool for terrorism. With the rapid advancement of AI technologies, there is a growing concern about their possible misuse by terrorist groups. This study extensively examines existing research, policy documents, and expert opinions and investigates the complex connections between AI and terrorism. The literature review delves into historical examples, current case studies, and emerging trends to clarify the various ways in which AI could be employed for harmful purposes by terrorist organizations. By analyzing recruitment strategies, communication …

Emerging Technologies In Boko Haram's Operations And Counter-Terrorism Efforts In Central Africa, Abraham Ename Minko

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The interplay between terrorism and technology in Central Africa has intensified, particularly with Boko Haram’s rise. This research explores how emerging technologies enhance Boko Haram's operations and the corresponding counter-terrorism efforts. It examines Boko Haram’s use of social media for recruitment, encrypted messaging for secure communication, and advanced weaponry like drones and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). These technologies have expanded Boko Haram’s reach and operational efficiency, challenging security forces. The study also evaluates technological countermeasures implemented by Central African governments and international bodies, including surveillance, cyber intelligence, and data analytics. It assesses the effectiveness of these measures, noting successes and …

Lawfare And Terrorism – Can Terrorism Justify The Use Of Force?, Joanna Siekiera

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

As the world became increasingly interconnected, the significance of international law has been augmented exponentially. International law encompasses a vast array of legal systems, written norms, and customary principles that govern the interactions between states, still being the primal and main norm creators, as well as to some extent international organizations, and other non-state actors (NSA) gaining more and more influence, and finally us - individuals. In recent times, the utilization of law as a tool of warfare has gained prominence, with public and private entities leveraging legal arguments and international institutions to achieve their military and political objectives. While …

Human Rights Violations In Counter-Terrorism Efforts: A Qualitative Study Of Victims Experiences In Nigeria, Ifeoma E. Okoye, Pius Adejoh

African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies

Abstract

This study explores the complex nature of human rights violations in the context of countering terrorism in Nigeria. Consequent to the persistent threat of terrorism, especially since the 2009 Boko Haram terrorist' attacks, the Nigerian government has enforced several measures in order to provide national security and save its citizens from terrorist attacks. However, the implementation of these counterterrorism strategies has constituted human rights abuses. This study examined the complicated human rights violations that occurred in the government's counterterrorism framework by utilizing a detailed review of scholarly literature, legislations, media reports, United Nations' provisions, findings from non-governmental human rights …

Explaining Mass Shooting Motivations: A Case Survey Analysis Of Us Mass Shootings (2006-2024), Isaiah H. Harris

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Research on the motivations behind mass shootings remains inconclusive as these events often lack a singular or explicit cause. The motivations of mass shooters are complex, shaped by the interplay of psychological, social, and ideological factors. While some attacks are clearly driven by extremist beliefs, others appear to stem from less defined forces such as depravity or sadistic intent. Existing typologies, such as Langman’s (2009) analysis of school shooters, offer valuable insight but are limited in scope. This study expands upon previous research by examining U.S. mass shootings from 2006 to 2024 to determine whether such events are more frequently …

Impacts Of Terrorism In Education Sector Due To Internal Displacement: Case Study Cabo Delgado- Mozambique From 2017 To 2022, Isaque Joaquim

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The study aims to analyze the impacts of internal displacement in the education sector due to terrorist conflict ongoing in the northern region of Mozambique (Cabo Delgado). The internally displaced people (IDPs) in Mozambique establish themselves within the country. They abdicate their normal life and adapt themselves to the means of subsistence, and most of the time with little support from the government which does not ensure a dignified life in basic needs: education, health, and protection. This situation has been happening in the northern province of Mozambique, where access to education is deficient, mainly in rural areas. Thus, the …

Gaining New “Terror”-Tory: The Strategic Expansion Of Al-Qaeda Into Africa, Ashley Jenkins

Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News

The op-ed discusses the expansion of Al-Qaeda's influence into Africa. Partnering with local extremist groups, such as JNIM and Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda seeks to recruit new members and undermine Africa's current democratic ambitions. The spread of extremist ideology poses a serious threat to U.S. national security and highlights the need for new counterterrorism strategies.

Too Precarious By Half: Understanding Indonesia’S Refusal Of Ex-Isis Indonesian Citizens’ Return In Favor Of Its Security Interest, Abel Josafat Manullang, Ana Maulana, Yosua Saut Marulitua Gultom

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The problems stemming from ISIS does not only come during the pinnacle of its campaign of terror, rather it is also available following its downfall. One prominent example would be the many former ISIS members who now wish to return home. Indonesia, having some of its citizens joining ISIS back then, made the stern call to deny their return. To this day, debates and discussions over it still remain to this day. Against that backdrop, the article seeks to explain why the aforementioned decision was made by taking into account the security dimension of the matter. In carrying out this …

The Digital Battlefield: Extremists On Social Media, Daniel P. Shanks

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The rise of social media has transformed the battleground for extremist groups like ISIS and the Taliban, enabling them to reach global audiences with unprecedented ease. This dissertation investigates the social media strategies employed by the Taliban and ISIS. These social media strategies are used to further their strategic objectives in propaganda, recruitment, and operational coordination. Through a comprehensive analysis, the study explores how these extremist groups adapt their digital tactics in response to evolving military and political landscapes. Utilizing case studies from key military engagements and applying theoretical frameworks of rational actor theory, social identity theory, and finite and …

Introduction To The Special Issue, John, Lord Alderdice

New England Journal of Public Policy

This issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy, with Lord John Alderdice as the guest editor, examines how, with the advent of sophisticated technologies and AI, the conduct of wars and peacemaking in the opening decades of the twenty-first century has changed, with implications for the future of both and society at large.

The Importance Of Sunni-Iraqi Support In The Rise And Fall Of Isis In Iraq, Deja Meekins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ISIS, a Salafi-jihadist terrorist organization stationed in the Middle East, has had its fair share of "successes" and "failures," both of which have been present in Iraq. Toward the beginning of the development of ISIS, it garnered a very powerful supporter base in Iraq. However, that has changed since then; ISIS currently, in 2024, no longer has the support of the vast majority of the Iraqi people. What is the reason for this? This research paper will seek to analyze and answer two major questions: what role does the Iraqi Sunni population play in ISIS’s trajectory of successes and failures …

Propelling Separatism Into Transnational Spaces: A Critical Analysis On The Pro-Ltte Tamil Diaspora In Canada, D.G.Niruka Sanjeewani

Journal of Terrorism Studies

Despite being less discussed, the transnational spaces of diaspora communities are often used by terror groups to achieve their ideological and political targets. Their projection of separatist claims in association with terrorist groups threatens not only the territorial control of the home state but also the security and immigration policies of the host state. Linked to these scopes, pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) diaspora in Canada serving as a case study in this paper to illustrate the dissemination of its separatist ideologies. In addition, this paper also analyses the current rhetoric of the Tamil diaspora for ‘federalism’ that has …

Historicising Domestic Terrorism And Boko Haram Insurgency In The North East, Nigeria: Issues And Trends, Adesola Sa Adesote, Adekunle Sunday Akande, John Ojo Abimbola

Journal of Terrorism Studies

Since the return to civil rule in 1999, Nigeria has been battling with series of violent agitations from various geo-political zones in the country. These violent agitations which have taken terror dimensions have contributed to national security threat. Terrorists’ attacks have resulted in the killings of hundreds of people and wanton destruction of property that worth billions of naira through bombings. The major thrust of this paper is to investigate the challenge of domestic terrorism with major emphasis on the activities of the dreaded militant Islamic sect, popularly known as Boko Haram since 2009. The paper argues that most of …