Från oktober 2006 till juni 2007 genomfördes en rad attacker i Irak där man använde bilbomber lastade med klorgasbehållare. Hundratals människor exponerades för gasen och attackerna fick stora konsekvenser för koalitionens agerande. Denna uppsats granskar attackerna för att analysera de krav som ställdes på aktören som genomförde dem. Därefter appliceras kraven på den motståndare som Sveriges insats i Afghanistan möter för att belysa hotbilden för svenska enheter att bli utsatta för en liknande attack. Vidare beskrivs de konsekvenser som hotbilden får för insatsen. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att motståndaren i Afghanistan skulle kunna genomföra en klorgasattack om denne uppfyller vissa kriterier som rimligen skulle kunna uppfyllas. Konsekvenserna för den svenska insatsen är att man, om möjligt, bör undersöka motståndarens kvalitativa kapacitet kopplat mot klorgasens användande, övervaka flödet av klorgas i sitt operationsområde samt öva grundläggande soldatfärdigheter för självskydd.

While previous research on foreign recruitment has investigated how rebels manage to recruit from abroad, little attention has been given to the factors that regulate demand from the rebel point of view. This thesis suggests that the organizational complexity of a rebel group affects its range of personnel needs and capability of rendering recruits into military assets. By conducting a comparative case analysis of Al Qaeda in Iraq (2004-2008) and The Islamic State (2012-2016), the study finds that the variety in foreign recruits experienced by the groups in part can be explained by varying degrees of demand. While organizational complexity cannot be established as determiner for the theoretically suggested mechanisms, it does appear to be a strong predictor for both the needs and capabilities of rebels who recruit from abroad.

Through the increase in globalization over the last twenty years the world has become ’smaller’. The many positive aspects of the phenomenon sometimes make us overlook the negative aspects of globalization. Just as economic markets and communication has moved beyond national borders one of the most negative aspects of society has also become global, namely terrorism. As terrorism has moved on to the global spectrum so has the prevention of terrorism. National governments that are trying to combat terrorism have begun to realize that problems that other nations are facing in another continent could eventually affect their national security. Other nation states that are experiencing state failure may become a national security risk. The aim of this thesis is to examine if global terrorist organizations take advantage of the many problems that a nation faces when it is subject to state failure. It has not been to examine the phenomenon of global terrorism itself or why certain nation states fail. It has rather been to see if there is a connection between the two and if so, how do global terrorist organizations take advantage of these opportunities? The most famous, or infamous, global terrorist organization al Qaeda has on many occasions used the fact that a state is experiencing failure to their advantage. Many of the more common problems that a failed state will face (loss of territorial control, disastrous domestic economy, and bad leadership) have been exploited by al Qaeda who have been able to build an effective infrastructure, build training cams and religious schools, and gain public support in two of the most troubled nations in the world; Afghanistan and Sudan. The conclusion that can be drawn from this examination of the connection between global terrorism and failed states is that terrorist organizations have on several occasions taken advantage of the problems associated with state failure in order to become stronger and build a working infrastructure. It is, however, important to note that terrorism is very rarely the reason fore state failure. Furthermore, the fact that a sate is experiencing state failure does not automatically mean that it will be a breathing ground for global terrorism.

Denna uppsats är en jämförelse av hur terroristdåden den 11 september 2001 i USA och den 11 mars 2004 i Spanien framställdes i Dagens Nyheter. Syftet med uppsatsen är att åskådliggöra hur terroristdåd utförda av Al Qaeda framställs i Dagens Nyheter på två olika kontinenter. Uppsatsen bygger på material från litteratur om terrorism som begrepp och dess gestaltning i media, samt tidningsartiklar om dåden från Dagens Nyheter. En diskursanalys har vidare genomförts på tidningsartiklarna för att kunna se likheter och skillnader i framställningen av text kring dessa dåd. Kodningen och jämförelsen har skett genom en dimensionering av olika företeelser som återfunnits i artiklarna. På detta vis framkom en skillnad i framställningen på dessa olika kontinenter i media. Dådet den 11 september erhåller ett större utrymme i Dagens Nyheter och framställs genom en krigsdiskurs som angår alla demokratiska länder i världen. Amerikanerna framställs i sammanhanget som ett folk som aldrig tidigare upplevt terrorism. Detta medan den 11 mars framställs genom en nedtonad terroristdiskurs som gör händelsen beskedlig och till något alldagligt och en närmare beskrivning av händelseförloppet uteblir. Dådet på denna kontinent angår endast Europa och européerna framställs som ett folk med stor erfarenhet av terrorism och våld. I båda dåden förekommer en vi-och-dem-diskurs, men inriktad på olika företeelser. I dådet den 11 september gestaltas detta genom en motsättning mellan den demokratiska västvärlden och de islamistiska länderna. Detta medan dådet den 11 mars påvisar en motsättning mellan europeiska medborgare och de säkerhetstjänster som fått i uppgift att lösa problemet med terrorism, men som i sammanhanget framställs som opålitliga hemlighetsmakare.

The objective of this study is to investigate trends in international terrorism since the end of the Cold War, including those identified as “new” terrorism and to determine to what extent these are applicable to the Al-Qaeda movement. To achieve this aim, the study focused on aspects such as the origin and development of new terrorism; the differences and resemblances between traditional and new terrorism; the historical development of international terrorism; the effect of the end of the Cold War on terrorism; and factors impacting on contemporary terrorism. An analysis of the Al-Qaeda movement was done with respect to its motivation, ideology, transnational character, target selection, operational strategy and tactics, and its desire to use non-conventional weapons. The intention was to identify aspects which may indicate whether the movement serves as a model of the characteristics identified by certain authors as a new terrorism. Case studies of the most important terrorist incidents linked to Al-Qaeda, including the September 11 attacks on the US, are included. The study demonstrates that the nature of terrorism as an instrument to obtain political objectives has evolved but, at the same time, it has retained most of its essential characteristics. An investigation of the characteristics of traditional and new terrorism confirmed this conclusion, as well as that a differentiation between these types of terrorism is mostly a matter of perspective. Another finding of the study is that terrorist campaigns have rarely obtained their strategic goals but that it nevertheless remains a popular strategy aimed at effecting desired political change. The study furthermore confirms that terrorist groups do not operate in a vacuum but are influenced by the existing political, socio-economic and cultural environments. As such the end of the Cold War has caused specific changes in the international system which facilitated the rise of a movement like Al-Qaeda and which enabled it to function at a global level. The usefulness of the study lies in the clarification of the concepts of traditional and new terrorism; its indication of the evolving of motivations and strategies applied by terrorist organisations; and in the findings about the current campaign of the Al-Qaeda movement. Copyright 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Bester, F 2007, New trends in contemporary international and transnational terrorism as manifested in the Al-Qaeda movement, MSS dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-04112008-125925/ > / Dissertation (MSS)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

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The diploma thesis is focused on the issue of radicalization of young people, who join terrorist organizations inspired by the ideology of Salafi Jihadism. Terrorist groups are one of the greatest global threats of the 21st century, and the recruitment of new fighters is their basic factor of success and growth. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is to compare the methods and techniques of recruitment used by Salafi Jihadist groups and to identify successful strategies of terrorist groups, leading to the radicalization of certain populations. The work deals with two concrete terrorist groups - the "Islamic State" and Al-Qaeda, because these groups operate globally, have sympathizers around the world, and attract different people to join them. The basis of the research is an application of different radicalization models that have been developed up to now on the observed methods and strategies of terrorist recruiters. The result of this research is a revealing of the most used methods of recruitment, the reasons of successful recruitment cases and a summarizing of the qualities of potential recruits and the factors facilitating radicalization of these persons.

The thesis deals with terrorism and its development as a social phenomenon since 1970s. It has argued that terrorism has undergone a process of radicalization and globalization, particularly as a result of the changed international situation and proliferation of modern technology. Nationalistic terrorism has been replaced with a global form of terrorism. In a similar vein, revolutionist ideologies, typical for terrorist groups of 1970s and 1980s, has given a way to radical interpretations of religions, namely Islamism, which has received substantial popularity as a result of prevailing grievances of the Muslim world. Even though there is no clear distinction between the old and the new form of terrorism, the two social phenomena differ to an important extent. During the second half of 20th century leftist terrorist groups dominated the scene with their fight for a regime change and battle against capitalism as well as imperialism. The organization of the groups took the form of hierarchy and had only limited number of members. At the beginning of the new millennium, the situation changed dramatically with the proliferation of Islamic groups, including the global terrorist group al-Qaeda. The groups work without a formal power structure and are able to hit targets anywhere in the world, as the...

American relations with Pakistan went through various ups and downs from being allied during the Cold war to imposing sanctions in last decade of the twentieth century. After 9/11 attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon Pakistan quickly joined the United States in the War on Terror. In my thesis I analyze positions and influence of Pakistan during invasion to Afghanistan. and seven next years of the Operation Enduging Freedom during George W. Bush administration. At first I concentrate on historical experience of Pakistan and development in the area before american invasion to Afghanistan. I also surveying terrorist movements on Pakistani soil, which are important for later development and are connected to Pakistani secret service ISI. ISI tried some years after 2001 to maintain friendly relations with Taliban and other terrorist groups along Afghan - Pakistan border, but terrorists, basically anti-system movements, wanted to establish in Pakistan and Afghanistan states constituted as Islamic emirates. President Musharraf under pressure of forthcoming events and the United States understood that supporting Taliban is no longer sustainable policy and decided to act against terrorist groups home in Pakistan. This move however triggered suicide bombings and massive uprising which hit in 2006/2007...

The objective of the master thesis is to evaluate the factors that have influenced the operational capability of al-Qaeda. In order to determine current operational capacity of al-Qaeda, the analysis is divided into three time periods and on the basis of external and internal factors affecting the changes in the structure and thus the functioning of the group, then the network, we have achieved results that we can consider as a basis for assessment of its ability to act today. Analysis of the structure of the al-Qaeda by network analysis based on the theory derived from the article of Ronald Diebert and Janice Stein entitled "Hacking Networks of Terror" is in the thesis considered to be a basis for understanding of the functioning of the network structure as well as its impact on the internal functioning of the network compared with hierarchically organized structure characteristic for the period before the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The other two periods analyzed in the work are: the period after the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, their impacts and the third period is the period after 2011, when bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda was killed, the revolutions of Arab Spring took place and the long-term impact of the war on terror will be included in the analysis as well. Analysis of...