‘Home-Grown’ Jihad

Understanding Islamist Terrorism in the US and UK

Based on seven years of original research, this book contains one of the most detailed and comprehensive assessments of 'home-grown' Islamist terrorism (HGIT) in the US and UK to date. Beginning with an examination of the development of militant networks during the 1980s and 1990s, it traces the origins of HGIT and highlights the significance of these early experiences in different countries for shaping the future trajectory of the threat. The book also examines the range of motivations for violent jihad in the West, suggesting a composite theoretical model that specifies three 'necessary' conditions for involvement and challenges popular explanations for differential rates of terrorism which emphasize socioeconomic factors.

The book analyzes the background and operational activities of nearly 800 American and British jihadis who mobilized between 1980 and September 11th 2013, including factors such as mental health, education, processes of radicalization, leadership, use of the Internet, sources of funding and links to foreign terrorist organizations. This analysis is then complemented with an examination of how these individuals have been dealt with by the respective security services.

From the first proponents of 'global jihad' to the recent wave of volunteers inspired by events in the Middle East, this book provides an extensive yet lucid analysis of one of the greatest security concerns facing America and Great Britain today. 'Home-Grown' Jihad challenges existing studies on a number of key issues and expands our understanding of HGIT. It will be invaluable to academics, practitioners and policymakers alike.

Contents:

• Islamist Terror in the West: The Emergence of the Home-Grown Threat
• Understanding Motivations: From Pre-Disposing Risk to Direct Motivators
• Global Jihad and the Great Satan
• Londonistan
• Who Becomes a Jihadi Terrorist and How?
• What Exactly Have American and British Jihadis Been Doing?
• How Have Jihadis Been Dealt With?
• Conclusion

Readership: Undergraduate and graduate students taking up security-related academic courses, academic experts, researchers, counter-terrorism practitioners, and current affairs journalists.
Key Features:

• Includes the largest empirical assessment of Islamist terrorism cases in the US and UK to date (almost 800 individuals)
• One of few such studies to comprehensively compare the American and British experiences of Islamist terrorism and to also systematically measure changes over time
• The only study comparing the US and UK to include not only demographic and operational variables, but also features of counter-terrorism investigations