Georgetown Security Studies Review ’s Post

It was great to speak to Phil Gurski about contemporary terrorism and organised crime as part of his Borealis Canadian Intelligence Eh podcast series. In our conversation we discuss many of the aspects of my recently published book, 'Terror for Profit' (see comments) including the Wagner Group, malign states, the situation in Northern Ireland along with Scotland's place as a support hub to 'terrorists' in the province, and the overall degradation of attachment to cause amongst terrorist actors. Degradation of attachment and understanding of cause is key to understanding why terrorists, organised criminals and malign states are interacting. It also provides insight into the lone wolf tsunami we have experienced since 2016. Terrorism and Organised Crime are changing. Hopefully the conversation outlines how, and the increasing urgency of the need for our security apparatus to refocus on current and not past threats. https://lnkd.in/enPT_WGw #Terrorism #OrganisedCrime #OrganizedCrime #WagnerGroup #Terrorforprofit #Terrorforprofitbook #Scotland #NorthernIreland #Canada #Police

good read. ..Compared to my years combating Al-Qaeda, it’s harder these days for my investigators and their police counterparts to quickly and definitively determine whether an act of violence is ideologically motivated or driven by another factor like mental health. Today, an attacker may have no connections to other terrorists. They might not be on our records. And there’s often no claim of responsibility. MI5 and the police follow the intelligence and evidence to whatever conclusion – or lack of conclusion – they support. To be explicit, politics plays no role in these decisions. We will continue to do the best professional job we can of analysing a picture which is inherently messy. We’re also seeing far too many cases where very young people are being drawn into poisonous online extremism. Sadly, 13% of all those being investigated by MI5 for involvement in UK terrorism are under 18. That’s a threefold increase in the last three years. Extreme right wing terrorism in particular skews heavily towards young people, driven by propaganda that shows a canny understanding of online culture.

Domestic Terrorism: Understanding the Pathway to Violence and Lone-Wolf Ideology Domestic terrorism poses a growing threat, driven by individuals radicalized by personal grievances and extremist ideologies. These lone-wolf actors often believe they can “ignite the revolution” through acts of violence, making them unpredictable and dangerous. In my latest article, I break down the pathway to violence—a framework explaining how individuals progress from holding grievances to committing violence—and discuss the challenges faced by federal investigators in addressing these crimes, including the lack of comprehensive federal statutes. I also explore real-world examples, including the recent tragic shooting at UnitedHealth Group, highlighting the urgent need for better tools to combat domestic terrorism. Let’s start a conversation: How can we strike a balance between protecting free speech and addressing the real dangers of radicalization? #DomesticTerrorism #Security #Counterterrorism #LoneWolfThreats #PublicSafety

A ‘pick and mix’ of horror. An interesting phrase. I don’t know 2ho wrote this but there are some impactful phrases here. As our concerns shift to state actor hostility we should keep this quote in mind. Turnover in the police service is high. Memories of terrorist attacks fade quickly. This is also true of the general public. The challenge is to maintain a proportionate level of vigilance and investment in ct measures when there are plenty of other things going on. Speeches such as this are part of the process. An attack is likely. #counterterrorism #terrorism #ctpolicing #ctp Metropolitan Police

Government launches consultation on proposed Counter-Terrorism Bill The consultation can be completed online in less than 15 minutes and aims to gather responders’ views on: - Whether there should be a legal obligation for standard tier premises to be prepared for a terrorist attack; - Whether the new law will be successful at making people feel safer; - How easy or difficult it will it be to comply with the proposed new requirements; - Whether there could be any unintended consequences of the new law; - Whether the new law will reduce or increase the burden (i.e. financial, time, or effort) on those responsible for standard tier premises; and - Who should bear the costs of implementing and maintaining compliance with the new requirements (e.g. those responsible for the premises or customers)? #ukmanufacturing #shoutaboutukmfg #supportukmfg https://lnkd.in/e5G-XvU3

Terrorism isn’t something that happens “somewhere else, to those other people.” Targets are selected carefully, with detailed surveillance and planning cycles that often take many months and even years to complete. Terrorism happens where and when it’s planners believe it will have the biggest and best psychological impact. Terrorism happens with the intent - to make YOU do, and believe, what they want. Terrorism thrives where people cower. At its most basic, terrorism is just extortion and blackmail. A criminal act against all humanity, by petty criminals and cowards who hide their own identities in the shadows, like a Mafia Don. Don’t let terror win. Don’t live in fear. Secure your own freedom. Be your own first responder. Be aware. Be prepaired. Respond “appropriately.” Keep your community safe.

Far-right terrorism today poses perhaps the gravest terrorism threat to Western communities. Over the course of the past 50 years, however, the manifestations of such violence have shifted, as social media and strategic innovations such as leaderless resistance have impacted both the tactics and targeting involved in far-right violence. Today, lone actor attacks using firearms and targeting soft targets predominate, but terrorists nonetheless continue to innovate with technologies such as 3D-printing. Such developments hold considerable implications for counterterrorism practitioners, who must balance relatively simplistic yet lethal violence with the enduring possibilities of terrorist innovation using emerging technology. Source: Taylor & Francis Group https://lnkd.in/eSfATaBC #terrorism #terrorists #terror #tactics #tech #technology #counterterrorism #violence #attack #attacks #3dprinting #socialmedia #online #innovation #firearms #target #highthreat #threat #threats #nationalsecurity #homelandsecurity

Morning Folks, Well, a very big day for me. 'Terror for Profit' has been published by Key Point Press and is available to buy from the link below. https://lnkd.in/e5G6D3-K The book is a culmination of over 10 years of research into terrorism and organized crime, but this research must be viewed through the prism of my three decades of operational experience. I have followed, fought and fraternized with those who engage in both terrorism and organized crime. Some I put in prison for a long time, others I assisted in finding a way out. I know them and understand them. Terrorists and Organized Criminals are three dimensional individuals, they are not cardboard cutout villains. They have families, friends, wants and ambitions just the same as you and me. What my book illustrates is a new means by which to understand how and why their moral compass differs from yours, what this means for the world today, and how this might shape events to come. Motives for Terror and Crime are fluid; so are the allegiances and tactics of those who engage in them. My book will help you navigate these stormy waters. The big takeaway from my work is this, "From ill gotten gains, to fear and admiration in their societies of interest, today's terrorists aren't pursuing any discernible cause. They are out for one thing... themselves." After reading my work I hope to have persuaded you through my research and argument that we need to rethink what terrorism really is, and perhaps more importantly what it isn't. Only through doing this will communities plagued by supposed terrorists be able to rid themselves of these parasites who continue to drain society and cause misery wherever they operate. I am indebted to all those who helped bring this book to fruition, both on this platform and off it. Thanks. Yours Aye, Martin Roy McComb Jerry Ratcliffe Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D. Paddy Tomkins General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) Tamara M. #terrorforprofit #terrorforprofitbook #terrorism #organisedcrime #organizedcrime #police #drugs #smuggling #scotland #northernireland #ireland

Proud to have published this new article in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, the first article to come out of my PhD on roles and agency in transnational support for armed movements. The paper asks what explains whether someone who supports an armed movement in a foreign war turns to plotting a terrorist attack at home. Using data on 129 Australian supporters of Islamic State, the paper examines the impact of contextual and dynamic factors relating to strategic logic, mobilising structures and security measures. It finds that the strategic priority Islamic State publicly placed on transnational terrorism at a given time was most important, followed by whether the supporter was subjected to travel restrictions and law enforcement interactions, only then followed by micro-level factors traditionally focused on in quantitative studies of individual involvement in terrorism. https://lnkd.in/guKKnyd9