1 Linking Terror Networks, Attacks, & The Symbology of Terrorism, Post-9/11 MU MVZ 203 / 448 Spring 2010 Sonoma State University Dave McCuan Terrorism as Strategy • Increasing interest in “soft targets” (economically strategic impact, and less protected) such as: – pubs in Northern Ireland & London UK – open markets & cafes in Israel – international airport, Sri Lanka – bus in Manila, the Philippines – shopping mall in southern Philippines – nightclub in Bali, Indonesia – banks in Istanbul, Turkey – hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia – nightclub in Berlin, Germany – and, of course . . . 2 Karachi, Pakistan May 8, 2002 June 14, 2002 12 Dead 50 Injured 14 Dead, including 11 French engineers Bus attack Attack on U.S. Consulate Bali, Indonesia October 12, 2002 202 Dead 350 Injured Citizens from 21 countries, mostly Western tourists, were killed in the blasts 3 Casablanca, Morocco May 17, 2003 44 Dead 107 Injured Jakarta, Indonesia August 5, 2003 12 Dead 60 Injured J.W. Marriott Hotel, Jakarta 4 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia November 8, 2003 April 21, 2004 4 Dead 148 Injured 3 simultaneous suicide car bomb attacks on Al-Muhaya apartment complex Attack on Security Services Headquarters 17 Dead 122 Injured Istanbul, Turkey November 20, 2003 27 Dead 400 Injured Primary Targets: British consulate and the HSBC bank headquarters 5 Madrid, Spain March 11, 2004 191 Dead 1,035 Injured Jakarta, Indonesia September 9, 2004 9 Dead 173 Injured Australian Embassy was primary target 6 London, UK July 7, 2005 54 Dead 716 Injured What Do All Of These Attacks Have In Common? Networks of Strategy & Recruitment? • Sageman - Terrorism is an individual’s strategic choice most often driven by a combination of: – Intense grievances – Sense of crisis – Address a power imbalance - empower the disenfranchised • The ties that bind: Training camps, extended family, social networks; trusted networks = key • Combination of ideology and psychology • No constraints re: geography, organizational affiliation, etc. 7 Networks of Strategy,cont’d • Recruit individuals with differing talents or attributes to offer – Locals with knowledge of customs, culture – Foreigners with passports, language skills – Sleepers or operationalists who can “fit in” – Individuals who can serve as critical functionaries • Sleeper cells were key for the 9/11, Madrid and London attacks Strategy, Training, & Networks 8 Strategy & Training, cont’d • Psychological dimensions • Moral disengagement – Displacement of responsibility – Disregard for/distortion of consequences – Dehumanization – Moral justification • Group power over behavior, personal decisions • Preparation for martyrdom Networked Training Camp Curricula – More Detailed Discussion From Earlier This Term • Education in explosives and detonators: how to assemble bombs (e.g., TNT, C4), mines and grenades, pressure and trip wire booby traps, and the basic knowledge of electrical engineering • How to mount rocket launchers in the beds of pickup trucks • How and where to launder money • How to successfully conduct a kidnapping • How to conduct target identification, surveillance and reconnaissance • How and where to build camouflage-covered trenches • How to covertly communicate with other members of a group or network • How to fire handguns, machine guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers Lessons for new recruits to develop the will to kill and the skill to kill include: 9 Networked Training Camp Curricula, cont’d • The rudiments of chemical and biological warfare • Field command and escape tactics • Marksmanship & camouflage • The use and employment of Soviet rocket-propelled grenades and shoulder borne STRELA missiles • Sniper rifle skills; how to fine-tune a rifle sight at short range to ensure accuracy at longer distances • How to direct weapon fire at targets on the ground and in the air • Training in four-man unit deployments and formations—including wedges, columns, echelons and lines—techniques similar to those used by U.S. Marines & US Army Rangers Lessons, continued: Networked Training Camp Curricula, cont’d Increasing use of the Internet • Provide free tactical advice (print or online dissemination of information on bomb making, computer hacking, etc.) • Advise sleepers on how to adapt to local surroundings (e.g., dress, friendly relationships with locals, etc.) • Examples of online resources include: – The Terrorists’ Handbook – How to Make Bombs, Book Two – 13 volume Encyclopedia of Jihad – Manual of Jihad – The Green Book (IRA) – The Turner Diaries (US extremists) – Mu’askar al-Battar (The Al Battar Training Camp, an Al Qaeda magazine) – The Mujahideen Poisons Handbook – The Anarchist Cookbook – Field Manual for Free Militia – Sabotage Handbook – Special Force – first-person shooter game, developed by Hizballah – Cyber-attack tools and instructions 10 Example of Tactics: Ammonium Nitrate • Millions of tons produced each year for use as fertilizer • Mining companies mix small amounts of explosive grade ammonium nitrate with fuel oil to create explosives • Used in several IRA bombings • Used in World Trade Center bombing, 1993 (1,200 lbs in truck bomb) • Used in the Oklahoma City bombing, 1995 • Used in the U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, 1998 • Used in the Bali bombing, 2002 • March 30, 2004: More than half a ton of ammonium nitrate fertilizer is found in a lock-up in West London. Eight British citizens, one American and one Canadian were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Networked Strategy & Training, cont’d • These are Learning Organizations = committed to capturing knowledge, analyzing it, forming new doctrine and tactics which are informed by lessons from the past – Learn from each other – Learn from trial and error (IRA example) – Media showcasing ‘best practices’ to others – Managing public image (PR) (becoming more sophisticated) • Terrorists are learning many things in Iraq, Afghanistan such as: – Manufacturing and concealing IEDs – Urban warfare – Sniper and ambush techniques – Hostage taking – Media manipulation • OVERALL: How to recruit, fund, & execute asymmetric warfare • Thus, symbols of recognition & commonality reinforce the links, understanding, and transfer of knowledge especially among jihadist groups.