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Lone wolves are a nightmare for the police & intelligence services as they are extremely difficult to detect & defend against. Compared to group terrorism or network-sponsored terrorists, lone operators have a critical advantage in avoiding identification & detection before & after their attacks, since most of them do not communicate with others with regard to their intentions. Although lone wolves might have the disadvantage of lacking the means, skills, & professional support of terrorist groups, some of them nonetheless have proven to be very lethal. In Islamist circles, the idea of support for small-scale, loosely organised terrorist attacks is not new. In 2003, an article was published on extremist Internet forum Sada al Jihad (Echoes of Jihad), where Osama bin Laden sympathizers were encouraged to take action without waiting for instructions. In 2006, a text authored by AQ member Abu Jihad al-Masri, "How to fight alone", circulated widely in jihadist fora. Another prominent Salafi writer, Abu Musab al-Suri, also advocated acts of terrorism carried out by small, autonomous cells or individuals. He outlined a strategy for a global conflict taking the form of resistance by small cells or individuals who keep organizational links to an absolute minimum. Anonymous calls for spontaneous Islamist extremist action also appear regularly on the Internet. If "leaderless resistance" is the wave of the future, it may be less lethal but harder to fight as there are fewer clues to collect & less chatter to hear, even as information about means & methods is so much more widely dispersed. Despite the many differences in background & tactics, there are commonalities shared amongst lone wolves. One common characteristic is they do not “work & play well with others”. This is not mean that lone wolves do not have connections to organizations, networks or scenes. In fact, many join extremist groups only to leave due to conflicting agendas or ideas. Hence, there is a degree of commitment to & identification with extremist movements; their solitary actions do not take place in a vacuum. This commonality is crucial in identifying & understanding the processes of radicalisation. Another commonality, notwithstanding their operational reclusion is they often distribute their ideas or manifestos to the outside world, in some cases even prior to the actual attack. Today, the Internet allows anyone to post his or her extremist ideology on the Web. A third shared attribute is the fact that although most terrorists do not suffer from any identifiable psychopathology, the rate of psychological disturbance & social ineptitude among lone wolves is comparatively high. Fortunately, there are also operational constrains for the lone wolf in executing a successful attack. Working alone, they have to conduct each step of the attack cycle by themselves, which means they are vulnerable to detection at several different junctures, the most critical is the surveillance stage.

Detonating thousands of explosions in places like grocery stores, hospitals, homes, and electronic shops, killing innocent civilians, is nothing short of terrorism. When a state carries it out, it's not just violence – it's state terrorism, and calling it anything else is pure hypocrisy. “The United Nations Security Council, it its resolution 1566 of October 2004, elaborates this definition, stating that terrorists acts are “criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.” The Security Council recalls that such acts are “under no circumstances justifiable by considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar nature.” The UN General Assembly reaffirmed this definition in January 2006 (Resolution 60/43), defining terrorist acts as “criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes.” ”

ACADEMY SITREP – TERRORIST ATTACK IN NEW ORLEANS January 2, 2025 | https://lnkd.in/eE6eFX2t What has Happened: -Early on January 1st, at least 15 people were killed and dozens injured when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd during the New Year’s celebration in New Orleans. -The FBI is investigating this incident as an “act of terrorism.” -The FBI has identified the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, as a 42-year-old Texas man and Army veteran. -Law enforcement sources said that the suspect, who was killed in a shoot-out with officers, had an ISIS flag with him at the time of the attack (the FBI is investigating potential associations with terrorist organizations). -The FBI also said that it doesn’t think the driver was “solely responsible” because weapons, as well as “potential improvised explosive devices,” were found in the vehicle and officials also located IEDs in the area. -The Sugar Bowl, scheduled to be played on the 1st, was postponed until the 2nd of January and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry issued an emergency declaration in anticipation of the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for February in New Orleans. Why it Matters: To read analysis from our Geopolitical Intelligence Group, see the full report at: https://lnkd.in/eE6eFX2t #academysecurities #missiondriven #geopolitical #geopolitics #capitalmarktets #debtcapitalmarkets #ipo #rates #macro #geointelligence #neworleans #nola #bourbonstreet #frenchquarter #sugarbowl #isis #daesh #SITREP Academy Securities Academy Asset Management Academy Ventures

Timely insight into a very fluid and tragic situation.

I commend the U.S. Department of Justice for taking a significant step in the fight against terrorism by filing criminal charges against the leadership of terror organization Hamas, including Yahya Sinwar, one of its most prominent figures. These charges come in the wake of the horrific October 7 massacre, when Hamas carried out brutal attacks that claimed the lives of over 1,400 Israelis and left countless others wounded. Among the ongoing atrocities, Hamas still holds over 200 hostages captive, including Americans. This past weekend, the brutality of Hamas was once again on display as they murdered five Israeli hostages and one American hostage. The tragic loss of these lives adds to the urgency of addressing the growing threat Hamas poses, not only to the Middle East but to global peace and security. Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, has long been responsible for orchestrating acts of violence that has caused immense suffering and instability in the region. The charges brought against Sinwar and other Hamas leaders are a crucial signal to terror figures that they cannot commit atrocities with impunity. This move by the U.S. government is an important step in ensuring that the leaders of Hamas are brought to justice and that their actions do not go unpunished. It also serves as a warning to other terrorist organizations that their actions will not be tolerated, and they will be pursued relentlessly by the international community. The international community must remain vigilant and united in its efforts to combat terrorism and protect innocent lives from those who seek to spread violence and hatred. https://lnkd.in/gCsaVN6M

In their latest alert, White & Case discusses the concept of the shadow financial system and its rise to international prominence in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Read more here: https://ow.ly/gGEY50SkRts #hawala #undergroundbanking