Today’s Terrorist

There are many things about terrorism in the 21st century that are different from terrorism in previous decades. Social media and internet recruitment, for example, have become new ways for terrorists to spread their toxic message as well as gain support and attention in recent years. But if you look back to the 1970s and early 1990s in Europe you will see similarities between then and now. Targeting these similarities will ultimately help you analyze, assess and plan counter terrorism operations and techniques in a time when the risk of home-grown terrorism is high.

First, take a look at a few European groups who carried out terrorist attacks throughout the 1970s to 1990s:

• In West Germany, the Red Army Faction (RAF) was founded in 1970. This group began as a left-wing terrorist group that followed the Marxist-Leninists, Maoism, Anti-Imperialism, Anti Fascism ideology and was supported by the East German Stasi (Ministry for Sate Security).
• The Revolutionary Cells (RZ), a self-described “Urban Guerrilla” organization that followed the Anti-Imperialism, Anti-Racism, Anti-Zionism & Feminism ideology, was established and active from 1973 to 1995. During the early 1980s it was one of West Germany’s most dangerous leftist terrorist groups and it claimed responsibility for 186 attacks. The RZ’s most famous international operation was the hijacking of the Air France flight on June 27, 1976—in cooperation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—and diverting it to Uganda’s Entebbe Airport.
• The 2 June Movement, a violent, anarchist terrorist group operating in West Germany active in the 1970s took responsibility for a bombing at the British Yacht Club in West Berlin. It was later found out to be an act of assistance for the IRA. 

A common theme for these European-based terrorist groups is that their membership wasn’t poor, uneducated people. In reality they were from middle-class or even well-to-do families. Their members were well-educated and idealistic, guided by their ideology. Does this sound familiar? It should. Many of today’s terrorists share the same traits.

From then to now

Fast forward three decades, here in the West we are seeing converts to Islam conducting lone wolf/actor terrorist attacks. If the attack is not carried out with firearms, they will find easier alternatives such as knives, vehicles and crude homemade explosives like HMTD (Hexamethylene Triperoxide Diamine) or Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) as used in several terrorist attacks including the 2001 Richard Reid shoe bomb plot.

In both Western and Eastern countries today, many in this new breed of terrorists are eager individuals from well-off families, educated and driven by a passion and/or desire to prove themselves to their new faith and its radical ideals. Furthermore many seek meaning and order to their lives which they have found difficult to achieve in their relevant societies. Some are either bullied or picked on for various reasons, and find themselves marginalized.

This is where Islamic extremists step in, offering order to these individuals if they embrace this form of Islam. Islamic extremists provide them with the desire and meaning to their lives, so much so that they are prepared to murder and die for their new faith. Many blame the West for their situation and play the victim card, claiming they are not responsible for the poor state of their culture, country and the world. The Islamist extremists promise clear-cut solutions to every problem so long as the soon-to-be new fledged terrorist follows their rules. They provide a desire for change to the old corrupt order, which must be overthrown, and this can only happen through violent action.

Targeting the new terrorist

How can we begin to deal with the threat of terrorism?

• Get off the false narratives that poverty and/or education are the cause or issue. Although the extremists promise a better way, they really deliver more death, more suffering and more poverty. Young people need to see these extremists for what they are; then and only then will their recruitment numbers go down.
• The Muslim media has to stop treating the extremists and terrorist as freedom fighters.
• Teachers and parents can’t assume that because they reject extremism their kids will, too.
• Islamic politicians and religious leaders need to stop blaming their country’s problem of endemic corruption on the West.
• Religious leaders need to condemn extremist actions and promise eternal damnation not eternal heavenly bliss.

In the meantime, we need to be constantly vigilant. My old instructor used to say, “When dealing with a terrorist, you have to think like a terrorist. You must get inside their head. How would you carry out a terrorist attack? Where would you get the needed equipment and supplies?” By doing that it gives an enhanced insight into terrorist attacks in your area of responsibility.

Today and for the foreseeable future the risk of home-grown terrorists in the homeland is high, particularly, as has happened in the past, the lone wolf attacks. These are easy to plan and carry out yet very difficult to detect ahead of time.

Their modus operandi is for surprise attacks that are simple and quick, targeting areas such as bars, restaurants and night clubs, market places and waiting areas in public transport locations where people gather together. The lone or isolated police officer, security officer and military personnel are not exempt from the target list, either. How many of you take the same route to and from work or visit the same coffee shop? How easy would it be to follow your routine and target you directly? The modern day terrorist is a chameleon that blends into the environment and they will use quick and easily accessible weapons such as vehicles, hammers, knives, firearms and simple explosives.

Terrorism is the cancer of modern day society that we need to address on multiple levels. We are not invincible—we have to make our communities and ourselves hard targets.

About the author:

Carl Hospedales’ career spans over 30 years within the military, special operations and tactical law enforcement occupations. His experience includes counter-terrorist, operations and training, VIP protective security, firearms design, tactics and instruction, intelligence gathering and analysis.