Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram

Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram PDF

Author: John Maszka

Publisher: Wspc (Europe)

Published: 2017-10-31

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9781786343987

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Boko Haram is now the deadliest "terrorist" organization operational in the world, by virtue of the sheer number of people the group have killed. Together with al-Shabaab, the two groups account for a substantial amount of carnage on the African continent. Analyzed here are the ideologies of these two infamous organizations. Utilizing information from breadcrumbs that they leave behind, in videos, media releases and various correspondence, this book searches for clues within the historical and contemporary social context that explain their existence. It explores the ideological roots the two organizations share and examines the goals and objectives of each group in order to calculate the nature of the threat posed in the broader international realm. It is argued that through applying strategic theory, and specifically the concept of strategic terrorism, it is possible to form a deeper understanding of two of the most dangerous militant organizations in operation today.

Insurgency, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism in Africa

Insurgency, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism in Africa PDF

Author: George Klay Kieh Jr.

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2023-02-06

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1793649375

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This book provides an examination of insurgent movements and terrorist organizations, as well as state policies that instigate intrastate conflicts in African states. It examines the tactics used by anti-government forces, states’ counterterrorism responses, and the human security impacts of insecurity on citizens in Africa.

Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa

Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism in Africa PDF

Author: H. Solomon

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-05-12

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13: 1137489898

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Traditional counter-terrorism approaches, with their emphasis on the military, are failing. This is seen in the fact that there is an average of three terrorist attacks per day in Africa. This study calls for more holistic solutions, with an emphasis on development and better governance to curb the scourge of terrorism.

Al-shabaab And Boko Haram: Guerrilla Insurgency Or Strategic Terrorism?

Al-shabaab And Boko Haram: Guerrilla Insurgency Or Strategic Terrorism? PDF

Author: John Maszka

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2017-10-27

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1786344009

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Boko Haram is now the deadliest 'terrorist' organization operational in the world, by virtue of the sheer number of people the group have killed. Together with al-Shabaab, the two groups account for a substantial amount of carnage on the African continent. Analyzed here are the ideologies of these two infamous organizations. Utilizing information from breadcrumbs that they leave behind, in videos, media releases and various correspondence, this book searches for clues within the historical and contemporary social context that explain their existence. It explores the ideological roots the two organizations share and examines the goals and objectives of each group in order to calculate the nature of the threat posed in the broader international realm. It is argued that through applying strategic theory, and specifically the concept of strategic terrorism, it is possible to form a deeper understanding of two of the most dangerous militant organizations in operation today.

Understanding Boko Haram

Understanding Boko Haram PDF

Author: James J. Hentz

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-05-08

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1315525046

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The primary objective of this book is to understand the nature of the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria. Boko Haram’s goal of an Islamic Caliphate, starting in the Borno State in the North East that will eventually cover the areas of the former Kanem-Borno Empire, is a rejection of the modern state system forced on it by the West. The central theme of this volume examines the relationship between the failure of the state-building project in Nigeria and the outbreak and nature of insurgency. At the heart of the Boko Haram phenomenon is a country racked with cleavages, making it hard for Nigeria to cohere as a modern state. Part I introduces this theme and places the Boko Haram insurgency in a historical context. There are, however, multiple cleavages in Nigeria ̶ ethnic, regional, cultural, and religious ̶ and Part II examines the different state-society dynamics fuelling the conflict. Political grievances are common to every society; however, what gives Boko Haram the space to express such grievances through violence? Importantly, this volume demonstrates that the insurgency is, in fact, a reflection of the hollowness within Nigeria’s overall security. Part III looks at the responses to Boko Haram by Nigeria, neighbouring states, and external actors. For Western actors, Boko Haram is seen as part of the "global war on terror" and the fact that it has pledged allegiance to ISIS encourages this framing. However, as the chapters here discuss, this is an over-simplification of Boko Haram and the West needs to address the multiple dimension of Boko Haram. This book will be of much interest to students of terrorism and political violence, insurgencies, African politics, war and conflict studies, and IR in general.

Jihadist Insurgent Movements

Jihadist Insurgent Movements PDF

Author: Paul B. Rich

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-09-01

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1351705849

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This path-breaking collection of papers examines the phenomenon of jihadist insurgent movements in the Middle East and North, East and West Africa. It argues that military and strategic analysts have paid insufficient attention to the phenomenon of jihadism in insurgent movements, partly due to a failure to take the role of religion sufficiently seriously in the ideological mobilisation of recruits by guerrilla movements stretching back to the era of "national liberation" after World War Two. Several essays in the collection examine Al Qaeda and ISIL as military as well as political movements while others assess Boko Haram in West Africa, Al Shabaab in Somalia and jihadist movements in Libya. Additionally, some authors discuss the recruitment of foreign fighters and the longer-term terrorist threat posed by the existence of jihadist movements to security and ethnic relations in Europe Overall, this volume fills an important niche between studies that look at Islamic fundamentalism and "global jihad" at the international level and micro studies that look at movements locally. It poses the question whether jihadist insurgencies are serious revolutionary threats to global political stability or whether, like Soviet Russia after its initial revolutionary phase of the 1920s, they can be ultimately contained by the global political order. The volume sees these movements as continuing to evolve dynamically over the next few years suggesting that, even if ISIL is defeated, the movement that brought it into being will still exist and very probably morph into new movements. Jihadist Insurgent Movements was originally published as a special issue of Small Wars & Insurgencies.

Washington's Dark Secret

Washington's Dark Secret PDF

Author: John Maszka

Publisher: Potomac Books

Published: 2018-10-08

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1640121110

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As a scholar of terrorism, John Maszka has examined how politics, the media, and the War on Terror play off one another. His most startling claim is that the War on Terror is a war for natural resources—and that terrorism has little to do with it. Once the military became mechanized, oil quickly became the most sought-after commodity on the planet, and the race for energy was eventually framed as a matter of national security. Ironically, Maszka argues, the true threats to national security are the massive oil conglomerates themselves. Maszka delves into the repercussions of a government that capitalizes on an us versus them mentality, such as the demonizing of an entire religion, sensationalizing “radical” violent attacks, and loosely applying the word “terrorism.” Because the United States’ current approach to terrorism has led to the politicization and abuse of the term, Maszka suggests a need for a standardized definition of terrorism. Currently, too many acts of violence can be labeled terrorism, resulting in state and nonstate actors labeling their enemies as “terrorists,” yet claiming their own acts of violence as legitimate and retributive. Maszka argues that much of the violence labeled as terrorism today is not terrorism at all. In an ambitious attempt to connect seemingly unrelated events in politics and the media, Maszka offers an unflinching portrayal of the hypocrisy underlying our foreign policy.

Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Somalia

Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Somalia PDF

Author: Seth G. Jones

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 107

ISBN-13: 0833094815

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This study examines the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaign against al Shabaab in Somalia. It concludes that, while al Shabaab was weakened between 2011 and 2016, it could resurge if urgent steps are not taken to address key challenges.

Boko Haram and the War on Terror

Boko Haram and the War on Terror PDF

Author: Caroline Varin

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2016-08-15

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13:

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A comprehensive analysis of the rise of Boko Haram from a small religious cult to a major terrorist group, placing them within the context of Nigerian politics and the international War on Terror. In 2009, Nigerian security forces stormed a religious cult by the name of Boko Haram, killing its leader and thousands of followers. Six years later, Boko Haram is an enemy to reckon with, boasting 15,000 members and taking credit for 20,000 deaths. This book looks at the successful rise of this terrorist group, probing the religious and political environment that enabled a relatively small cult to threaten a nation. The study draws on the author's fieldwork in Nigeria, where she had access to officials, activists, psychologists, and military personnel. Written in a clear and accessible manner, it offers a micro-to-macro investigation of the Boko Haram as a phenomenon. It also provides readers with an understanding of the regional dynamics that obstructed political and military cooperation among neighboring countries, enabling Boko Haram's success. This book traces the group's religious origins in the early 2000s and documents its violent political claims in Nigeria and across the border in Northern Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. Finally, it examines the impact of the international War on Terror and presents a comparative study of other contemporary terrorism movements and their networks.

Boko Haram

Boko Haram PDF

Author: Virginia Comolli

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2015-01-06

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1849046085

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Northern and central Nigeria are engulfed in a violent insurgency campaign waged by Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnah Lidda'awati w'al Jihad, a.k.a. 'Boko Haram', and more recently, its splinter group 'Ansaru'. From its inception an inward-looking, almost parochial, movement, Boko Haram, and even more so Ansaru, have now showed clear signs of regionalization, expanding their operations across West Africa and forging links with al-Qaeda affiliated groups. Boko Haram's stated aim is to Islamize Africa's most populous country but, like earlier Nigerian Islamist groups, of which there is a long tradition in the Sahel, the discontent prompting young Nigerians and other young West African Muslims to join the insurgency is rooted in more than just religious orthodoxy and cannot be disentangled from their economic, social and political marginalization. In spite of talks about dialogue and amnesty for those prepared to renounce violence, the Federal Government's response has been a militarized one, resulting in the largest deployment of the Nigerian armed forces since the end of the Civil War. But what is the real magnitude of the threat? What can foreign partners do to support Abuja? How effective is the current government's strategy in tackling the insurgency? And, more importantly, are the root causes of the insurgency being addressed and the foundations for a durable peace being established?