Nexus of Global Jihad: Understanding Cooperation Among Terrorist Actors (Columbia Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warfare)

Synopsis

Leading Jihadist Groups Such As Al-qaeda And The Islamic State Dominate Through Cooperation In The Form Of Knowledge Sharing, Resource Sharing, Joint Training Exercises, And Operational Collaboration. They Build Alliances And Lesser Partnerships With Other Formal And Informal Terrorist Actors To Recruit Foreign Fighters And Spread Their Message Worldwide, Raising The Aggregate Threat Level For Their Declared Enemies. Whether They Consist Of Friends Or Foes, Whether They Are Connected Locally Or Online, These Networks Create A Wellspring Of Support For Jihadist Organizations That May Fluctuate In Strength Or Change In Character But Never Runs Dry. [this Book] Identifies Types Of Terrorist Actors, The Nature Of Their Partnerships, And The Environments In Which They Prosper To Explain Global Jihadist Terrorism's Ongoing Success And Resilience. [this Book] Brings To Light An Emerging Style Of 'networked Cooperation' That Works Alongside Interorganizational Terrorist Cooperation To Establish Bonds Of Varying Depth And Endurance. Case Studies Use Recently Declassified Materials To Illuminate Al-qaeda's Dealings From Iran To The Arabian Peninsula And The Informal Actors That Power The Sharia4 Movement. The Book Proposes Policies That Increase Intelligence Gathering On Informal Terrorist Actors, Constrain Enabling Environments, And Disrupt Terrorist Networks According To Different Types Of Cooperation.-- Introduction -- The Puzzle Of Terrorist Cooperation -- Actor Spectrum: Organizations, Networks, And Entrepreneurs -- Shifting Environment: Ideology, Social Media, And Armed Conflicts -- Contemporary Terrorist Cooperation: A Holistic Typology -- Pre-9/11 Cooperation In The Global Jihad -- Post-9/11 Cooperation In The Global Jihad -- High-end Cooperation: Al Qaeda And Al Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula (aqap) -- Low-end Cooperation: Al Qaeda, Iran, And Hezbollah -- Networked Cooperation: From Bojinka To The Sharia4 Movement -- Conclusion. Assaf Moghadam. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.