{"title":"Yemen Houthis and the Terrorist Designtion System","authors":"Lucy van der Kroft","doi":"10.19165/2021.2.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2021.2.02","url":null,"abstract":"In its last hours in office, the administration of former US president Donald Trump designated Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), prompting uproar that the resulting sanctions would worsen Yemen’s dire humanitarian situation. Trump’s successor Joe Biden swiftly reversed the move amid fears of imminent famine, but the policy shift caused consternation elsewhere among those who argued it would embolden the rebel group. This article examines what an FTO listing (and other categories in the current US designation system) means in both practical and symbolic terms. It discusses the challenges that arise when listed groups control territory, both in terms of the impact on civilian populations and the way in which designations can reduce rather than increase the prospects for workable peace negotiations. The article goes on to discuss the particular dynamics of the Houthi case, which provides a compelling illustration of the intensely political and symbolic nature of the terrorist designation system.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"110 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134561648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Last Frontier: Prisons and Violent Extremism in Mali","authors":"Liesbeth van der Heide, J. Coleman","doi":"10.19165/2020.2.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2020.2.05","url":null,"abstract":"As the number of violent extremist attacks in the Sahel has expanded rapidly in recent years, the number of Violent Extremist Offenders (VEOs) in prison has grown in parallel at an alarming pace. This policy brief focuses on VEOs held in prisons in Mali, using primary data gathered during semi-structured interviews with VEOs conducted between 2016 and 2019. The brief provides a profile of the VEOs, including their backgrounds and, crucially, their reasons for engagement with terrorist groups. It also provides an overview of the prison structure, in order to illustrate the system for managing the VEO population, and identifies gaps or opportunities for improvement, particularly in relation to managing risk and implementing rehabilitation interventions. Finally, this brief provides recommendations for additional efforts needed to ensure that both Malian and international policymakers are able to tailor their responses to the growing issue of VEOs in a manner that will ensure that prisons become places that contribute to successful (eventual) reintegration of inmates, rather than places that exacerbate the problem of extremism and radicalisation.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123559501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Expanding Use of Administrative Measures in a Counter-Terrorism Context - Part 2: In Need of a Gender and Age-Sensitive Approach","authors":"Bibi van Ginkel, Matthew Wentworth, Tanya Mehra","doi":"10.19165/2021.2.09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2021.2.09","url":null,"abstract":"In this policy brief, we will zoom in on the gender and age-sensitive considerations that need to be taking into account when assessing the impact and henceforth the adequacy, proportionality and effectiveness of the measures on the targeted individual, as well as on his or her direct social circle. We will furthermore elaborate on the importance of monitoring the effectiveness of the specific measures and the evaluation of the legitimacy and effectiveness of the mechanism of administrative measures as a whole.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128610380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kenneth Yeo Yaoren, Reuben Ananthan Santhana Dass, J. Singh
{"title":"Maritime Malice in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines: The Asymmetric Maritime Threat at the Tri-Border Area","authors":"Kenneth Yeo Yaoren, Reuben Ananthan Santhana Dass, J. Singh","doi":"10.19165/2021.2.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2021.2.01","url":null,"abstract":"This policy brief discusses the threat of maritime terrorism in the Tri-border area and the weaknesses of the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement, a trilateral treaty between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines that was set up to mitigate terrorism in the region. We also highlight the challenges associated with counter-terrorism in the region such as resource allocation considerations due to the national sovereignty-counter-terrorism dilemma and provide key policy recommendations aimed at policymakers and practitioners in the area.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115995103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Weapons in Afghanistan: The Taliban's Spoils of War","authors":"Tanya Mehra, M. Demuynck, Matthew Wentworth","doi":"10.19165/2022.2.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2022.2.02","url":null,"abstract":"Following the announcement of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban quickly seized control of the country. The seemingly rushed and chaotic nature of the US’ withdrawal also allowed the Taliban to seize large quantities of small arms and light weapons (SALW) left behind. This policy brief explores the purposes for which the Taliban use these newly acquired ‘spoils of war’, ranging from fighting rival group ISK-P and controlling territory to financing their activities and propaganda purposes. It finally provides recommendations on how to contain the flow of SALW in and out of Afghanistan, and draw lessons on how to better manage future withdrawal of international troops in other countries.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132270125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Remembering Utøya, 10 Years Later: Enduring Lessons for Counter-Terrorism","authors":"Jacob Ware","doi":"10.19165/2021.2.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2021.2.03","url":null,"abstract":"July 22, 2021 marks the 10-year anniversary of Anders Behring Breivik’s lone actor attack on Oslo. The intervening decade has seen a wave of far-right violence targeting Western cities, many inspired by the Norwegian terrorist. The anniversary accordingly offers an important opportunity to revisit counter-terrorism lessons learned, and to assess whether they have been sufficiently implemented in strategies preventing political violence. This Policy Brief finds that lessons learned from events transpiring before, during, and after the attack have been insufficiently considered, and that new counter-terrorism strategies targeting far-right violence should re-assess failures that permitted the attack and incorporate responses to those weaknesses.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125147312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Clubb, R. O’Connor, D. Koehler, Jonathan Schewe
{"title":"The Importance of Public Relations in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism","authors":"G. Clubb, R. O’Connor, D. Koehler, Jonathan Schewe","doi":"10.19165/2022.2.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2022.2.03","url":null,"abstract":"The policy brief makes the case that policymakers and practitioners need to consider how P/CVE programmes engage in public relations (PR), specifically in communicating transparently. P/CVE programmes can benefit from greater community support and trust by engaging in public relations. We show how PR currently benefits different P/CVE programmes. We argue that P/CVE programmes, should develop PR strategies based on the principals of proactive transparency to generate positive news coverage and public support. State-led programmes specifically should provide support within the industry. The brief outlines how research on transparency can inform PR messaging within programmes. Whereas programmes have typically emphasised communicating effectiveness, we show that communicating decision-making processes may be more effective in generating policy support and trust. Overall, the brief contributes to a policy debate on if and how P/CVE programmes should communicate with the public.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130089647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The 10th Anniversary of the Global Counterterrorism Forum: Time to Outgrow the Adolescence","authors":"Bibi van Ginkel","doi":"10.19165/2021.2.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2021.2.07","url":null,"abstract":"In the policy brief, the author reflects on the achievements of the GCTF, and the added value of the Forum in the international CT landscape. Four key challenges are highlighted that relate to the effectiveness of the GCTF, the eroding commitment of GCTF Members, the challenges to the legitimacy of the GCTF, and the lack of inclusiveness. Subsequently recommendations are offered with several concrete proposals to address these challenges, that can assist in keeping the GCTF fit for purpose also in the next decade.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133619196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Brief Primer on Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Methods in the Study of Terrorism","authors":"Kurt Braddock","doi":"10.19165/2019.2.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2019.2.01","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115256941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Civilians on the Front Lines of (Counter-)Terrorism: Lessons from the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland in Burkina Faso","authors":"Meryl Demuynk","doi":"10.19165/2021.2.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.19165/2021.2.08","url":null,"abstract":"In the wake of the lethal attack conducted in Solhan, northeast Burkina Faso, during the early hours of 5 June 2021, debates around the use of civilian auxiliaries in the fight against violent extremism have reinvigorated. Faced with a dramatic rise in terrorist violence since 2015, national authorities have decided to arm their own citizens, allowing, since early 2020, the recruitment of nationals willing to voluntarily defend, if necessary by force of arms, their villages or places of residence. While this initiative has been generally welcomed by the population, the creation of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie), has continued to raise serious concerns, particularly with regard to the risk of further exacerbating violence, redirecting it against civilians, and increasing intercommunal tensions. Almost two years after the promulgation of the law, this policy brief aims to confront the rationale behind this strategy with the outcomes of its implementation and the main challenges it has raised, identifying lessons learned and providing recommendations on the way forward.","PeriodicalId":355254,"journal":{"name":"Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126512281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}