Understanding terror networks / Marc Sageman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sageman, Marc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Terrorists--Social networks.

Terrorists.

Terrorism.

Jihad.

Social networks.

Physical Description:

ix, 220 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, [2004]

Summary:

For decades, a new type of terrorism has been quietly gathering ranks in the world. American ability to remain oblivious to these new movements ended on September 11, 2001. The Islamist fanatics in the global Salafi jihad (the violent, revivalist social movement of which al Qaeda is a part) target the West, but their operations mercilessly slaughter thousands of people of all races and religions throughout the world. Marc Sageman challenges conventional wisdom about terrorism, observing that the key to mounting an effective defense against future attacks is a thorough understanding of the networks that allow these new terrorists to proliferate. Based on intensive study of biographical data on 172 participants in the jihad, Understanding Terror Networks gives us the first social explanation of the global wave of activity. Sageman traces its roots in Egypt, gestation in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war, exile in the Sudan, and growth of branches worldwide, including detailed accounts of life within the Hamburg and Montreal cells that planned attacks on the United States. Understanding Terror Networks combines Sageman's scrutiny of sources, personal acquaintance with Islamic fundamentalists (many of whom the author has found to be admirable), deep appreciation of history, and effective application of network theory, modeling, and forensic psychology. Sageman's unique research allows him to go beyond available academic studies, which are light on facts, and journalistic narratives, which are devoid of theory. The result is a profound contribution to our understanding of the perpetrators of 9/11 that has practical implications for the war on terror.

Contents:

1 The Origins of the Jihad 1

2 The Evolution of the Jihad 25

3 The Mujahedin 61

4 Joining the Jihad 99

5 Social Networks and the Jihad 137

Appendix Names of Terrorists 185.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-212) and index.

ISBN:

0812238087

OCLC:

53972026