The Money and Culture of the New Terror

The focus on terrorism and ideology combined as radical Islam ignores the other powerful elements of appeal generated by anti-state groups rapidly expanding their range and options for violence. Many of these elements are trans-cultural; their appeal includes the ideal of membership in a small global elite of outsiders, a band of brothers and sisters liberated from moral and social strictures both West and East; an infatuation with highly public and publicized events involving civilian bloodshed and mass killings; a redefinition of the outlaw as the hero, as murderers call themselves martyrs.

French President Francois Hollande (R) welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) at the Elysee Palace. Photo: Dominique Faget/AF

This trans-cultural, trans-national appeal requires money: plane tickets, guns, bullets, bombs, web sites, ground transportation, communications are all being paid for by funds through networks and ties, by news reports, still invisible, yet highly efficient and effective. Turkey missed the entry of the girl friend of one of the men involved in Paris and she is now rumored to be in Syria, but who supplied the funds? A dirty secret of the New Terror is it is funded by the rich. These incidents, all local (New Delhi, Paris, Boston; Bara, (Nigeria) with 5 miles of bodies), are not grass roots insurgencies. They are part of a network that is well funded and able to move people and weapons seemingly at will. These groups have no noble cause. Leaders and supporters are disaffected and dangerous.

Add money, it’s a volatile mix.