Islamist Terrorism in Europe: A History

by Petter Nesser

Overview

Islamist terrorism in Europe is on the rise, as evidenced by the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, the grisly beheading of a UK serviceman walking the streets of London in 2013, and the shooting spree in Toulouse and Montauban. Whereas the death of Osama bin Laden and the advent of the 'Arab Spring' fed expectations that international jihadism was a spent force, Europe has faced an increase in terrorist plots over the past few years. In addition, there are growing security concerns over the fallout of the Syrian conflict, and its sizeable contingents of battle-hardened European fighters.
This book provides a comprehensive account of the rise of jihadist militancy in Europe and offers a detailed background for understanding the current and future threat. Based on a wide range of new primary sources, it traces the phenomenon back to the late 1980s, and the formation of jihadist support networks in Europe in the early 1990s. Combining analytical rigor with empirical richness, the book offers a comprehensive account of patterns of terrorist cell formation and plots between 1995 and 2012. In contrast to existing research which has emphasized social explanations, failed immigration and homegrown radicalism, this book highlights the entrepreneurial role of former Arab-Afghan veterans and their associated organizations and ideological agendas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190264024
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/05/2016
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Petter Nesser is a senior research fellow with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI). Trained in Social Science, Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic, Nesser has conducted extensive research on jihadism in Europe for more than a decade, while focusing on motivational drivers, recruitment and radicalisation processes.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Main question
Terminology
Existing research
Aims and scope
Method
Sources
Argument and outline
Chronology of serious terrorist plots since 1995

2. Background

Arab Afghans
Al-Qaida's central organization
The Afghanistan training camps
From Arab alliance to multi-national network
The ideology of global jihad
The emergence of jihadism in Europe
Geography of jihadism in Europe
Mobilization and radicalization
Summary

3. The Algeria factor

Civil war and armed groups
Leadership and radicalization
The France attacks
The Bosnia counterfactual
The GIA heritage in Europe

4. Between local struggle and global jihad

Al-Qaida's plans for Europe
From support network to terrorist cell
The Frankfurt cell
The Beghal network
Tawhid
Chechen network
Target Europe

5. The Iraq effect

Al-Qaida's Iraq strategy
Europe as enemy for al-Qaida
Recruitment for the Iraqi jihad
From recruitment to terrorist plotting
M-11
Hofstadgroup
Enter new actors and drivers

6. The Pakistan axis

Pakistan's jihadist landscape
Pakistani militants and al-Qaida
The Pakistan-Europe trail
Waziristan and Europe plots
Crawley group
7/7
Airliner plot
Towards multi-nationalism; The 21/7 counterfactual

7. The new al-Qaida

Mohammed cartoons
Al-Qaida in Northern Europe
Glasvej cell
Suitcase bombers
Sauerland cell
Doctors cell
The Jihadist threat to Western Europe since 2008

8. Conclusion: Decoding jihad in Europe
The scale of the phenomenon
Cell characteristics
Individual characteristics
Patterns of recruitment and radicalization
Motivations
Individual motivation
Group motivation implications

9. Sources

Press sources
Judicial documents
Books, Reports, articles
Jihadist sources
Databases
Expert Interviews
Miscellaneous

Editorial Reviews

"Nesser's detailed analysis of the threat we face could hardly be more timely. Its main focus is on the individuals involved, their backgrounds, motivations and modus operandi." — The Independent

"Petter Nesser's unflashy book analyses jihadi activity in Europe from the 1994 attempt by Algerian hijackers to crash an Air France jet into Paris to the massacre at Charlie Hebdo's offices and the kosher deli hostage crisis one year ago." — The Times

"A forensic look at 20 years of terrorist attacks. … This is not a book to read if you want to sleep easy."—The Sunday Times

"Petter Nesser is to be commended for a clear and well-researched explanation of jihadist terrorism in Europe that is impressive in historical range and depth of coverage. His study is essential for understanding a subject that is of paramount importance to the public and policy makers as well as scholars." — Martha Crenshaw, Senior Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University

"Several of the very best studies on terrorism have emerged from scholars around the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI). This is another of them. Petter Nesser's history of Islamist terrorism in Europe explains more than two decades of terrorist plotting like no other single-author study — a must read for counter-terrorist professionals and academics, but also for all concerned citizens who want to make sense of 'senseless violence'." — Alex P. Schmid, Editor-in-Chief of Perspectives on Terrorism and former Officer-in-Charge of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations

"Petter Nesser is one of the longest standing and most objective observers of this phenomenon. His book is full of detailed information that will make it a work of reference for many years to come. More than any other book on the subject, it shows the continuities and discontinuities, allowing readers and analysts to make sense of what has changed and what has remained the same. An absolute must read for anyone studying jihadist terrorism in Europe." — Peter Neumann, Director, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), King's College London

From the Publisher