Nicholas King EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Many active-duty U.S. military members and veterans (MIL/VETs) are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs), which have documented histories of violence and criminal activity. While MIL/VETs adopt the protocols of OMG culture in the pursuit of a positive social identity, unfortunately, many have arrests for their participation in OMG-related criminal activity.…
Posts Tagged with Countering Violent Extremism
Social Identity Theory and Intergroup Conflict in Israel/Palestine
Stephen Felty EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Intergroup dynamics have been a central vector in lasting identity conflicts around the globe. In Israel/Palestine, the conflict has not been reduced to the same level of sustained peace as it has in other countries. The conflicting groups often participate in increasingly destructive forms of reciprocating violence, which fuels narratives that…
Reconsidering CVE: The Unintended Consequences of Countering Violent Extremism Efforts in America
Nabeela Barbari EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Between September 12, 2001, and December 31, 2016, there were eighty-five violent extremist attacks in the United States, which resulted in over 225 fatalities.[1] Tragically, this number became outdated almost immediately after it was reported; at least five attacks killed a dozen more people between January 2017 and November 2017. These incidents…
Tailoring Violent Extremism Prevention: A Targeted Intervention Method
Mourad Mourad EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Terrorist recruitment and radicalization is a hazard facing our nation, regardless of whether the threat is from a domestic or foreign terrorist organization.[1] There are many ways an individual can radicalize, and the path to radicalization is not linear.[2] In order to implement a sustainable program that disengages violent extremists and makes communities…
(Un)convinced to Kill
Morgan Minor EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As the territorial significance once held by the Islamic State continues to deteriorate, Western nations are grappling with how to handle returning foreign fighters. Processing, categorization, and management of returning foreign fighters must be done in a way that reduces the risk of increased radicalization, both within the justice system and…
Crowdsourcing Threat Analysis; Applying a “Superforecasting” Methodology to Detection of Homegrown Violence
James Huse EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This thesis examines investigative decision making, cognitive biases, talent sharing, and the relationship between the random nature of lone actor violence and a set of predefined decision-making protocols. Targeted violence presents a paradox for the homeland security enterprise. These single attacker events, whether assassinations, school shootings, or lone wolf terrorist attacks,…
In Bad Faith: The Link Between Religious Conversion & Violent Extremism
Brian Gibson EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recent studies have found a disproportionate number of converts to Islam are taking part in radical activities as opposed to those born into the faith. Forty percent of those arrested in the United States for activities related to the Islamic State in the Levant (ISIL) are converts to Islam.[1] Only about…
The Cloudy Crystal Ball: Detecting and Disrupting Homegrown Violent Extremism
James Pendley EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Some observers are critical that recent attacks related to homegrown violent extremism (HVE) in the United States have occurred because investigators had information about would-be perpetrators but missed warning signs of imminent violence. Others rightfully contend that absent a crystal ball, some violent attacks will occur despite the best efforts of…
Countering Violent Extremism Policy in The United States: Are CVE Programs in America Effectively Mitigating The Threat of Homegrown Violent Extremism?
Craig Stewart EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2014, the United States initiated formal programming to counter violent extremism in three test cities, pursuant to the White House’s countering violent extremism (CVE) strategy outlined in 2011’s Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States. Since the creation of the pilot program, the Department of Homeland…
Combatting Prejudice: Understanding Media Prejudice Toward Muslims and Advocacy Organizations’ Efforts to Combat It
Jay Teitelbaum EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Prejudice towards Muslim and Sikh Americans continues in America despite advocacy organizations’ efforts to combat it. In fact, the Pew Research Center compiled Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data that show a 67 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crime from 2014 to 2015.[1] This violence also spills over to groups, such…