Trends in the Draw of Americans to Foreign Terrorist Organizations from 9/11 to Today

Abstract

This research report analyzes patterns of U.S. persons connected to foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). The work is intended to enhance understanding regarding the types of individuals drawn to al Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and other Islamic terrorist groups. Despite the fact that the overall population of individuals connected to FTOs in the United States is still relatively small, the number of individuals arrested in connection with FTOs rose dramatically after the founding of ISIL. An accurate understanding of the demographic profiles of persons drawn to these groups - and how it has changed over time - may assist counterterrorism efforts. This work is intended to benefit those seeking to understand terrorism within the United States, and particularly those involved in law enforcement and intelligence operations combating terrorism and preventative measures such as countering violent extremism programs.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2018
Accession Number
AD1086424

Entities

People

  • Eric Robinson
  • Heather J. Williams
  • Nathan Chandler

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Counterterrorism
  • Criminals
  • Criminology
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Homeland Security
  • Human Behavior
  • Human Population
  • National Security
  • Police
  • Public Policy
  • Radicalization
  • Social Media
  • Societies
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Victims
  • Violence

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.