The Media that is Fueling Terrorism
Who’s inspiring who: The headline-inspired threat
“I did it for the Islamic State.” This was the statement by 30-year old Muslim man following his attempted murder of a Philadelphia police officer on January 8. Echoed around the nation, authorities quickly labeled this as a possible act of terrorism to appease the immediate calls for motive by the public. But does it?
As communicated many times by the current DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, we are faced with a very different violent threat environment than those previously associated with terrorist organizations in the past. Coining the phrase “terrorist-inspired,” Secretary Johnson describes the evolving terrorist threat as a new strategy invoked by terrorists previously relying on terrorist-directed attacks.
A prime example of a terrorist-directed attack is the attack on September 11th. The terrorists involved were directly recruited and financed by Al-Qaeda residing in Afghanistan. The planning and most of the training (not counting the pilot training) was carried out outside of the country. The difference in threat-inspired is that its propagation is to no longer build bombs in hiding, but rather to distribute instruction manuals encouraging the public to do same.
In the case of 30-year Edward Archer, his pledged allegiance to ISIS and claimed following of Allah was deemed as the primary motive behind the shooting. His motivations were obviously inspired and we should immediately stamp ISIS as the cause actor since he says it’s the Islamic State ideology driving his actions, right?
Terrorism expert at the Brookings Institution, Will McCants disagrees, and in his new book, The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State, he provokes a new thought around the inspired threat by recommending a new category and asserting our traditional assumptions about attacks being ‘inspired’ by particular groups no longer fit the profile.
McCants further states that, “ISIS followers appear more troubled and more confused about their intentions and motivations than their al-Qaida predecessors” and “it seems like their interest in ISIS is much more opportunistic than it is ideological.”
In Philadelphia, investigators probing through Archer’s communications are finding it difficult to even loosely connect his troubled past instigated by ISIS-fueled communications. FBI Director James Comey confirms this openly as their efforts still find nothing to suggest he was part of an organized terrorist cell or was planning any follow-up attack.
McCants argues that previous ISIS-inspired attacks work into what law enforcement officials call “classic injustice collectors.” The very nature of the “lone wolf” threat not only gives the individual a greater sense of purpose, but also a solid ratings boost as the next big story on the major network news hours.
Fox Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Clint Watts, who has been tracking the Philadelphia case, believes the media coverage of ISIS is what’s promulgating the influence of violent Islamic extremism. As the revolving door of news coverage offers an immediate alternative to reinventing one in conflict with themselves and an opportunity to resolve various failures and frustrations of years past. Wouldn’t it only make sense for authorities to determine whether there was in fact an organizational tie and interest inspired by a specific group before inflicting more fear on the minds of Americans already in constant fear every time they turn on the news?
“I think it was mostly what would be described as headline-inspired attack,” Watts said.
“Someone who has deep psychological issues, some sort of problems in their local environment, picks up a weapon, and conducts an attack and then attributes it to a group like ISIS and before that al-Qaida,” said Watts. “The connections to the actual terrorist group are nonexistent, so that’s why, so far in this case, I’d say it is more inspired by current events than a particular ideology.”
The theory of “headline-inspired” one could also be attributed to the San Bernardino attacks from this year. As new investigations into the attacks reveal only minutes before the unexpected attack on the husband’s work holiday party, the wife allegedly searched online the Islamic State and then posted on Facebook their commitment to the organization. This was also found after evidence connecting the husband to the terrorist group, al Qaeda, and his planned attacked five years prior, although, before ISIS even existed. Looking at their propaganda prior to the incident, it was evident ISIS had no operational hand in carrying out these attacks. They were just as surprised as the next person.
So, is this a thing? Do you think the saturation of the ISIS-message across the globe is actually perpetuating ISIS propaganda and the reach to the inner voices of the mentally-disturbed? As we move into a world of decentralization and our social networks tend to differentiate us more among the millions, are we really targeting the right apparatuses to prevent the inspired threat?
Our current understanding of what inspires us and how it impacts the security of our homeland may be subject to further exploration. As the current definition of ‘’terrorist-inspired” directs analysis away from valuable insight exposed through an individual’s psyche, social networks and perceptions of their own networks.
It seems we are giving too much credit to terrorists these days. Don’t you think?
Submitted by a member of Team plugged-in.
Additional details on this discussion can be found in the following article link:
http://www.npr.org/2016/01/22/463861480/what-does-it-mean-if-an-attack-is-isis-inspired
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