Journal of Strategic Security

Pathological Counterinsurgency: How Flawed Thinking About Elections Leads to Counterinsurgency Failure. Samuel R. Greene. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2018.

Mark T. Peters II — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:45:00 PST

Secret Operations of World War II. By Alexander Stillwell. London, United Kingdom: Amber Books Ltd, 2018.

Millard E. Moon — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:44:52 PST

The Cyber Threat and Globalization: The Impact on U.S. National and International Security. By Jack A. Jarmon and Pano Yannakogeorgos. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.

Mark J. Roberts — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:44:44 PST

Categorizing Security for Security Management and Information Resource Management

Yejun Wu et al. — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:44:35 PST

There are various definitions and dimensions of security, and there is no comprehensive taxonomy of security. The existing classifications of security are fragmented, scattered, and divergent, binging challenges in the management of security and the management of information resources about security. This research aims to study the problems of security categorization in existing knowledge organization systems, and to develop a comprehensive taxonomy of security. Through thematic analysis of the literature about security, we found that, despite the various definitions and dimensions of security, there is a common feature of security. That is, security is expressed in this pattern: subject wants to protect object against source of insecurity using certain methods. Through facet analysis, we identified four facets of security – subject/scope of security, object of protection, source of insecurity, and method of security. By nesting the four facets to reveal the content of comprehensive security terms (such as national security, human security), we can build comprehensive taxonomies of security for various user groups. This paper develops a tetra-facet model of security, and demonstrates the application of thematic analysis and facet analysis to solve a complex problem of security categorization.

Intervening in and Preventing Somali-American Radicalization with Counter Narratives: Testing the Breaking the ISIS Brand Counter Narrative Videos in American Somali Focus Group Settings

Anne Speckhard et al. — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:44:22 PST

Research focused on measuring attitudes towards violent extremist groups and the appeal of violent extremist ideologies among the vulnerable communities in the United States remains under-researched. This focus group research attempts to close such a research gap. In May of 2018, International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) researchers focus tested ICSVE-produced counter-narratives with Somali-American youth in San Diego, CA, namely with Somali-American youth convened at the East African Cultural Community Center and the premises of San Diego State University. In addition to raising awareness about the dangers of joining violent extremist groups like Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and lending promising evidence that speaks to the quality and authenticity of our counter-narratives, this article presents a methodological argument, or a case study, in the use of counter narratives as an effective Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) tool. The use of counter narratives also served to start important conversations and engage with the Somali American community in a way that could open a path towards testing our counter-narrative content among those whom we might be able to detect a more substantial persuasive effect.

An Unfulfilled Promise: The Genocide Convention and the Obligation of Prevention

Zachary A. Karazsia — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:44:08 PST

This article addresses the under-theorized dual-mandate of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Convention was drafted in the wake of the Holocaust and other Nazi genocidal atrocities committed during World War II. The primary mission of the Genocide Convention was to establish a uniform definition of this scourge, and insert its prevention and punishment into the list of obligations states hold within the current international legal regime. Based on the past 70 years, it is clear that the international community has overwhelmingly failed to uphold the Genocide Convention’s prevention mandate. The Convention and its signatories have been more successful in punishing perpetrators posthaste (e.g., the 1940s Nuremburg and Tokyo trials; the 1990s tribunals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; and the International Criminal Court). Eyeing the failure of the international community in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, the Canadian government created the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty that created the doctrine of the “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P). The article argues that R2P has filled part of the gaps in the Genocide Convention and allowed states to take affirmative actions to prevent genocide in the modern era (e.g., Libya 2011).

Shifting Policies in Conflict Arenas: A Cosine Similarity and Text Mining Analysis of Turkey’s Syria Policy, 2012-2016

Brendon J. Cannon et al. — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:43:49 PST

Turkish policy towards the Syrian civil war, as operationalized in relation to the implementation of no-fly zones, safe zones or buffer zones, has been the subject of much debate among scholars. As the number of foreign states acting in Syria has steadily increased since the onset of the crisis, Turkish policies have similarly shifted. In order to make sense of Turkey’s actions and reactions in the first five years of the Syrian civil war, this article attempts to draw lessons from quantitative methods and methodologies such as text mining, cosine similarity and cosine normalization of content from the Anadolu Agency (AA), a Turkish state-owned press. These methodologies are utilized in support of content analysis and qualitative analysis that hindsight allows. In doing so, we are able to show that these seemingly inexplicable shifts may adhere to a logic and, in some cases, could have been anticipated. Utilizing such methodologies therefore offers a potentially significant contribution to the literature by defining politically feasible outcomes related to foreign or domestic policies.

The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies. By Michael V. Hayden. New York: Penguin Press, 2018.

Kevin S. Gould — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:38:43 PST

Threats to Homeland Security: Reassessing the All-Hazards Perspective, 2nd Edition. Ed. by Richard J Kilroy. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2018.

Mark T. Peters — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:38:35 PST

British and Lebanese Prisons: Are They Fertile Breeding Ground for Terrorism?

Salim Yaacoub — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:38:26 PST

Within an antagonistic atmosphere, radicalism becomes an attractive path for young Muslim inmates who feel disaffected. This is especially the case for those who are easily manipulated emotionally, due to being separated from friends and family. Radicalism makes them feel like they are in the “right” place. This article contrasts the radicalization processes occurring within United Kingdom prisons with those occurring in Lebanese prisons. Prisons are frequently designated as the “hotbeds” of radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism, but in the United Kingdom, they are seen more as “homegrown” terrorist plots. Focusing solely on security is insufficient to prevent radicalization. Instead, an approach is needed that not only strengthens the legal framework, but is grounded in wisdom and justice, as otherwise further anti-Muslim backlash to terror attacks will only drive more terrorist attacks.

Engaging English Speaking Facebook Users in an Anti-ISIS Awareness Campaign

Dr. Anne Speckhard et al. — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:38:17 PST

This article reports on The International Center for Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE’s) small-scale Facebook ad awareness campaigns ran between December 7, 2017 and December 31, 2017 in the United States, UK, Canada, and Australia. Two ICSVE-produced videos were used, namely The Promises of ad-Dawlah to Women, featuring the testimony of a Belgian female ISIS defector, and Today is the Female Slave Market in ad-Dawlah, featuring a Syrian male ISIS defector who witnessed the sexual enslavement of women by ISIS. The purpose of the campaign was to reach as many English-speaking individuals in U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia to drive engagement with the ICSVE-produced videos as well raise awareness about the dangers of joining or considering joining a violent extremist group like ISIS. The ad generated a reach of over 1 million and almost 604K video views. In addition to important engagement and awareness metrics, the qualitative impact analysis of generated comments was promising in terms of initiating important discussions on the dangers emanating from violent extremist groups like ISIS.

Searching for Satisfaction: A Review of the Social Motivators of Seeking Extremist Group Membership

Carter Matherly — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:38:08 PST

The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center marked the day that modern western progressive ideology and ideologically radicalized terrorism entered the public sphere as a household concept. There are many works and research on the susceptibility of an individual’s risk to join terrorist groups. Yet many of these approaches treat radicalization as a unique attitude towards out-group membership. This article offers a theoretical discussion applying core social motives as means to achieve basic psychological needs in the face of social conflict. This research presents a discussion surrounding the internal radicalization of individuals towards extremist groups. The research used social identity theory reinforced by minimal group paradigm as the basis of psychological theory outlining group conflict. This backbone analysis led to a refined selection of social identity complexity underpinned by cognitive complexity. Integrated threat theory offers a surmising role to both theories by identifying realistic and intergroup anxiety as key contributors to sustained conflict. The analysis ultimately noted the need to achieve individual life satisfaction as a core motivator for belonging to violent extremist groups. This observation is critically useful to practitioners working to curb the spread of terrorist groups and radicalization of individuals.

Going Global: The International Dimensions of U.S. Homeland Security Policy

Austen D. Givens et al. — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:37:57 PST

Scholarship examining U.S. homeland security policy proceeds from the assumption that homeland security policy-making is a largely domestic—that is, United States-centric—endeavor. This article challenges that assumption. The mission of the Homeland Security Enterprise is domestic security but achieving a satisfactory state of preparation, prevention, response, recovery and resilience requires efforts that extend beyond our boundaries. We argue that advances in technology and globalization have accelerated the degree to which global events directly and indirectly influence U.S. homeland security. Contemporary threats do not recognize national boundaries; efforts to counter them, accordingly, must transcend border lines as well. In this article, we present evidence from the homeland security sub-fields of border security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, public health, and disaster management to show that U.S. homeland security policy is now inherently transnational in nature and therefore best analyzed and understood by taking a broader, global perspective.

Front Matter/Table of Contents

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 07:37:48 PST

Radical Origins: Why We Are Losing the Battle Against Islamic Extremism-and How to Turn the Tide. By Dr. Azeem Ibrahim. New York, N.Y.; Pegasus Books, 2017.

Mark J. Roberts — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:07:50 PDT

India-Myanmar Relations and the Management of Transnational Militant Threats

Saira H. Basit — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:07:42 PDT

Militant groups hiding in Myanmar launch cross-border attacks into India, killing soldiers and civilians. The Indian Army has responded by launching cross-border military incursions into Burmese territory. After decades of trial and failure to curb the militants, a reciprocated spirit of cooperation for the first time seems to characterize India and Myanmar’s joint efforts in fighting them. This article analyses the evolution of these efforts and argues that a sum of dovetailing drivers have created space for enhancing countermilitancy cooperation in an ambivalent and distrustful relationship. Central elements are an overall improvement in bilateral relations, India’s need to counter China’s growing influence in its neighbourhood, Myanmar’s urge to diversify its benefactors, the urgency of stabilizing India’s northeast, Myanmar’s domestic security calculations, as well as a large untapped economic cooperation potential. Despite increasing countermilitancy cooperation, difficult challenges remain as Myanmar has ceasefire agreements with India-hostile militants residing on its territory. The relationship is caught in a complex interstate order in a mix of conflict and cooperation, between the use of extraterritorial force and its acceptance.

The Legend of the Lone Wolf

Agnes Hankiss — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:07:35 PDT

The paper attempts to demonstrate that all of the perpetrators of the grave terrorist attacks in Europe in the recent years have been connected—by one or maximum two links—to the center and leadership of ISIS in Syria, from whom they received ideological, logistical and financial support—thus contradicting the popular theory of lone wolves. The author reaches the conclusion that in many cases addressing potential lone radicals on Jihadist forums before the attacks was nothing else but a special form of Psyop, with the goal of disrupting counterrorism efforts and spreading fear in societies.

The Life Course of Apocalyptic Groups

Karl Umbrasas — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:07:27 PDT

Apocalyptic groups have launched attacks in the past, which if competently executed, would have been catastrophic. The security community needs a greater understanding of when law enforcement or the military should intercept dangerous apocalyptic groups. This comparative case analysis explores the length of time apocalyptic groups remain in existence, and when, during their life-span, they cross the threshold to catastrophic violence. The apocalyptic groups examined in this paper are centrally focused on the expectation of end-times or they seek to catalyze its arrival in ways that offend laws or social norms.

The Vested Interest Theory: Novel Methodology Examining US-Foreign Electoral Intervention

Jonathan J. Godinez — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:07:17 PDT

News of Russia potentially influencing the 2016 US Presidential election shines a light on the United States' own history of foreign electoral intervention. The United States has a tumultuous history of foreign electoral intervention starting in 1947 with the founding of the Central Intelligence Agency. Since then, the US has intervened in as many as eighty-one elections around the world. This article provides a novel theory, called the vested interest theory, that is used to identify the vested interest of the United States, or any global power, in a foreign electoral intervention. It identifies vested interest by utilizing a threefold methodology of analysis: the methods and tactics of a predator-country, the stated justification, and the magnitude of the election in relation to the global power. This article applies the vested interest theory to four landmark elections in the history of the United States: the 1948 Italian election, the 1964 Chilean election, the 1970 Chilean election, and the 2002 Bolivian election. With the application of the vested interest theory, this article develops a unique perspective of how and why the United States intervenes in foreign elections.

Front Matter/Table of Contents

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:07:09 PDT