The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) wants Americans to kill each other. To date, ISIS’ propaganda and messaging have focused on attracting foreigners to their ranks. A recent audio message from ISIS spokesman Abu-Muhammad al-Adnani, however, reveals a disturbing evolution in the terror group’s strategic messaging and goals. In retaliation for U.S. airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, al-Adnani called for individuals in western nations to attack military, law enforcement, and intelligence personnel, and to do so without asking for “advice.”
The communication from al-Adnani presents an adaptive and possibly evolving threat. It could inspire an independent actor with no ties to a foreign terrorist group, and if, per al-Adnani’s direction, the potential terrorist does not ask for “advice” nor coordinate with likeminded groups and individuals, then there is virtually no way to detect them before they strike. This is the nightmare scenario, and we have already witnessed how deadly it can be.
- On October 20, Martin Rouleau-Couture drove his car into two soldiers at a strip mall in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other. Rouleau-Couture was a radicalized convert to Islam.
- On October 22, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed a soldier at the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa before charging into the parliament building, where he engaged in a shootout with police. U.S. intelligence identified Zehaf-Bibeau as a radicalized convert to Islam.
- On October 24, Zale Thompson used a hatchet to attack a group of police officers in New York City. New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton called it a terrorist attack, and once again, Thompson was a radicalized convert to Islam.
- On October 31, a hatchet-wielding man attacked a police officer who was sitting in his marked squad car in Washington, DC. The officer was not wounded, and the attacker managed to escape. Nothing is known about the attacker, but the timing and the attack sound familiar.
The pattern is evident. Extremists are attacking symbols of western authority—police and military. The fact that at least three of the four October attacks were committed by Muslim converts is no coincidence. Islamic terrorist recruiters purposefully target converts, in part because their knowledge of Islam can be limited. A tenuous grasp of the tenets of a new religion is something I have seen in my research in U.S. prisons, where conversion is often more about power and protection than it is about faith and prayer. As a result, converts often possess little religious knowledge, and this is not unique to the prison system.
What is more, in any group, there is a phenomenon where new members feel compelled to prove themselves. When I was a gang officer in the Santa Monica Police Department, I saw multiple times how new gang members (particularly when their ethnicity was different from the group’s dominant ethnicity) committed some of the most heinous crimes. By virtue of their skin color and heritage, they exist on the fringes of the group and feel compelled to prove their loyalty and worthiness through excessive violence. It is this fringe element upon which extremist organizations often prey. With regard to terrorism, as I wrote in my book, Homegrown Violent Extremism, new members “have adopted the ideology in a manner that requires a demonstration of their commitment through violence.”
Considering the October terror attacks, it seems this same force may be at work, and it is what makes ISIS’ calls for homegrown attacks so troubling. Absent religious knowledge and feeling a desire to evidence their commitment, some converts can present a serious threat to homeland security. It is important to note, however, that almost all of the more than one billion Muslims in the world, including converts, are not extremists. Islam is a religion of peace, and there is zero link between the tenets of the faith and an individual’s propensity for violence.
Instead, there are three powerful forces that coalesce to make someone vulnerable to extremism and violence: an alienated individual; a motivating ideology; and an enabling environment. Of these, it is the environment where we have the most hope to disrupt the radicalization pathway. With regard to ISIS, it is critical that we empower families and communities with the capacity to identify troubling changes in behavior and radical professions of faith. Countering extremist narratives becomes possible with the identification of community challenges that impact quality of life and consequently, receptivity to violent ideologies that seem to offer a more purposeful existence.
At the same time, we must more aggressively combat ISIS’ propaganda. The group has been exceedingly effective in painting a false picture of their goals, tactics and ideology. Through slick English and other language videos and messages, ISIS has succeeded in convincing many that their actions are religiously righteous and that joining their ranks is, as one recruiter said in a video, so much fun it’s like Disney Land.
That is the image they present, but it is far from reality. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was right when he said, "Groups like [ISIS]...have nothing to do with Islam, and they certainly do not represent a state. They should more fittingly be called the 'Un-Islamic Non-State.'"
Perhaps the most important point to dispel is the notion that life with ISIS is pious. Take the example of Areeb Majeed, who left Mumbai to join ISIS in Iraq—only to return later, revealing dire conditions and decidedly unholy action. He said: "There was neither a holy war nor any of the preachings in the holy book were followed. ISIS fighters raped many a woman there.”
For other examples of ISIS’ true ideology and actions, we need look no further than the gruesome beheadings of individuals and the inhuman execution of thousands of people, abhorrent activities that have been captured on video. If we can accurately describe ISIS’ repulsive actions, motivations, and conditions to a broader audience, we might better reach those who, for ignorance or zeal, find the group’s call inspiring.
This fight has just begun, and we now face the dual challenge of deterring ISIS-inspired attacks while also using military force to halt and reverse the group’s expansion in Iraq and Syria. We must empower our communities with knowledge of how radicalization occurs and also give them the resources needed to improve quality of life, even as we encourage them to work with law enforcement and intelligence professionals to detect and deter homegrown attacks. As we head into the holiday season, when many military members travel to be with family, we must be vigilant. These are dangerous times, and the adversary is, as ever, patient and adaptive. Security is everyone’s business.
About the Author: Dr. Erroll G. Southers is the Managing Director for Counter-Terrorism and Infrastructure Protection at TAL Global, an international security consulting firm. Dr. Southers is also the Director of Transition and Research Deployment at the DHS National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) and an Adjunct Professor of Homeland Security and Public Policy at the University of Southern California.
