Terrorism Analysts Training Course

This course examines the nature, extent, and basis of terrorism in the world. The objective is to impart a better understanding of the issues surrounding terrorism in society while advancing a critical analysis of this subject area in a global context. The analysis is grounded in theory as well as in an applied research approach that emphasizes both an enforcement/preventative approach and a government functional and operational perspective. The approach to this topic is multi-disciplinary and involves other fields, including economics, history, political science, religious extremism, criminal intelligence, and operations theory.

5 March 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

1. 9/11 and the Globalization of Violence

Reading:

• Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism, (New York, Columbia University Press, 1998, Reprinted 2006)

• Robert Koehane, “The Globalization of Informal Violence, Theories of World Politics, and the ‘Liberalism of Fear,’” International Organization, 1, (Spring 2002), pp. 29-43

• Arabinda Acharya, Ten Years After 9/11- Rethinking the Jihadist Threat (Routledge, 2012 ), Chapter -1

12 March 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

2. Organization and Objectives

Reading:

• Arabinda Acharya, Ten Years After 9/11- Rethinking the Jihadist Threat (Routledge, 2012,) Chapter -2

• Marc Sageman, Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the Twenty-First Century, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008)

• Arabinda Acharya and Sonal Marwah, “Nizam la Tanzim (System not Organization): Do Organizations Matter in Terrorism Today? A Study of November 2008 Mumbai Attacks,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 34:1 (January 2011)

• Jessica Stern and Amit Modi, “Producing Terror, Organizational Dynamics of Survival,” in Thomas J. Biersteker and Sue E. Eckert, (eds.), Countering the Financing of Terrorism, (London and New York: Routledge, 2008)

19 March 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

3. Strategic Communication

Reading:

• Brigitte L. Nacos, Mass-Mediated Terrorism: The Central Role of the Media in Terrorism and Counterterrorism, (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007)

• Carsten Bockstette, Jihadist Terrorist Use of Strategic Communication Management Techniques, George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies, Occasional Paper, No. 20, December 2008, http://www.ciaonet.org/wps/mc/0017000/f_0017000_14536.pdf

• Yariv Tsfati and Gabriel Weimann, “www.terrorism.com: Terror on the Internet“, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 2002

26 March 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

4. Terrorism & Insurgency

Readings:

• Bowyer, The Dynamics of Armed Struggle, Frank Cass London 1998 Chap 1-3

• Cameron I. Crouch, Managing Terrorism and Insurgency Regeneration, Recruitment and Attrition, (Routledge, 2009).

• David J. Kilcullen, “Countering Global Insurgency,” The Journal of Strategic Studies, 28:4 (August 2005)

9 April 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

5. Terrorism and Crime

Reading:

• Phil Williams, “Terrorist Financing and Organized Crime, Nexus, Appropriation or Transformation?,” in Thomas J. Biersteker and Sue E. Eckert, eds., Countering the Financing of Terrorism, Routledge, 2008

• Rohan Gunaratna and Arabinda Acharya, “Terrorist Finance and the Criminal Underground,” in Michelle Innes Ed, Denial of Sanctuary, Understanding Terrorist Safe Havens, Praeger, 2007

• Bernt Georg Thamm, “The Nexus between Arms Trade, Drugs and Terrorism,” in Alex P. Schmid ed., Countering Terrorism through International Cooperation, ISPAC, 2001

• Tamara Makarenko, “A Model of Terrorist-criminal Relations,” Janes Intelligence Review, August 2003

16 April 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

6. Terrorist Financing

Reading:

• Steve Kiser, Financing Terror: An Analysis and Simulation for Affecting Al Qaeda’s Financial Infrastructure, Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2005

• Arabinda Acharya, Targeting Terrorist Financing: International Cooperation and New Regimes, Routledge, 2009

• Arabinda Acharya, “Countering Financing of Terrorism,” in Good Practices in Counter Terrorism, COE-DAT, Istanbul, 2022

• Jeanne K. Giraldo and Harold A. Trinkunas, eds., Terrorism Financing and State Responses: A Comparative Perspective, Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2007

• Arabinda Acharya, “Small Amounts for Big Bangs: Rethinking Responses to Low-cost Terrorism,” Journal of Money Laundering Control, 12.3, (2009)

• John Roth, Douglas Greenburg and Serena Wille, “Monograph on Terrorist Financing: Staff Report to the Commission,” (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 2004), http://www.911commission.gov/staff_statements/911_TerrFin_Monograph.pdfp

23 April 2024 (1:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

7. CBRN Terrorism & WMD

Reading:

• James J.F. Forest and Russell D. Howard, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism, (New York: McGraw-Hill, Second Edition, 2012)

• Anthony H. Cordesman, Terrorism, Asymmetric Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Defending the US Homeland, (Westport, CT; Praeger, 2002)

• John Parachini, “Putting WMD terrorism into perspective,” The Washington Quarterly, 24:3, Autumn 2003

8. Cyber Terrorism

Reading:

Denning, D., “Cyberterrorism”, Testimony before the Special Oversight Panel of Terrorism

Committee on Armed Services, US House of Representatives, 23 May 2000.

(http://www.cs.georgetown.edu/~denning/infosec/cyberter ror.html)

John D. Negroponte, Samuel J. Palmisano, and Adam Segal, Defending an Open, Global, Secure, and Resilient Internet, Report No 70, Council on Foreign Relations, 2013

Arabinda Acharya and Amrit P Acharya, Internet of Things, Ransomware and Terrorism, Journal of Defence Management, 7/159, 2017

Catherine A. Theohary and John Rollins, Terrorist Use of the Internet: Information Operations in Cyberspace, Congressional Research Service, R41674, March 2011

Obligatory reading:

• Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism, (New York, Columbia University Press, 1998, Reprinted 2006)

• Arabinda Acharya, Ten Years After 9/11: Rethinking the Jihadist Threat, (London: Routledge, 2013)

• Russell D Howard, and Bruce Hoffman, Terrorism and Counter Terrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment, Readings and Interpretations, McGraw-Hill, 2011

Recommended reading:

• James J. F. Forest, ed., The Making of a Terrorist, (Three Volumes), Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2005

• Paul Wilkinson, Terrorism Versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response, London, Frank Cass, 2001

• National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2004

Supplementary reading:

Journals:

• Perspectives on Terrorism

• Studies in Conflict and Terrorism

• Contemporary Security Studies

• Counter Terrorism Trends & Analysis

• Reports published by the US Dept of the State esp. Country Reports on Terrorism, http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/