Tag Archive for: Counter-terrorism

The Sultanate of Women: Exploring female roles in perpetrating and preventing violent extremism

This paper examines the appeal of Islamic State (IS) to Western women and explores how women can be employed in countering violent extremism (CVE) structures to prevent further involvement. It aims to deliver a comprehensive analysis for academics, policymakers and practitioners working in CVE program and policy design and implementation in order to bridge the gap between community development work and security and intelligence.

Two case studies of Australian women—Zehra Duman (a.k.a. Umm Abdullatif al-Australi) and Zaynab Sharrouf (a.k.a. Umm Hafs)—illustrate the appeal as well as the contradictions.

A series of recommendations suggests changes to existing CVE structures and their approaches to integrating, women.

Sofia Patel discusses the paper.

The American face of ISIS: Analysis of ISIS-related terrorism in the US March 2014–August 2016

Contributors: Piper Mik, Sarah Starr, Ala Tineh, Walker Gunning & Jacinta Carroll

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is mobilising sympathisers in the US at rates much higher than seen for previous terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda.

To understand this new American face of ISIS, the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST) study examined 112 cases of individuals who perpetrated ISIS-related offences, were indicted by the US Justice Department for such offences, or both, in the US between March 2014 and August 2016.

This is the first comprehensive analysis of ISIS-related cases to examine the profiles of indictees overall, as well as to identify characteristics associated with each of the offence types. The findings are striking, and provide a valuable contribution to understanding the contemporary face of ISIS-related terrorism in the US.

Detect, disrupt and deny: Optimising Australia’s counterterrorism financing system

Detecting, disrupting and denying terrorist financing is vital to efforts to degrade terrorist organisations. This paper examines the nature of terrorist financing and the system used to counter this. Using examples, the paper analyses how terrorist organisations raise, move and use funds. While the focus is currently on Islamist terrorist groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), historical examples demonstrate how terrorism and terrorism financing are neither new phenomena nor dominated only by groups in the Middle East.

The paper examines the international and Australian systems for targeting terrorism financing.

Australia’s overall counter-terrorism financing (CTF) system is robust but could be enhanced and strengthened. The 84 recommendations in the government’s recent Review of Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism legislation is a good start to improving the CTF system but doesn’t go far enough in some cases.

This paper sets out recommendations on how the Australian Government could enhance Australia’s CTF system.

Understanding the al-Shabaab networks

The Australian Government on 21 August 2009 officially listed the al-Shabaab group as a terrorist organisation.

This paper examines the danger posed by the Somali-based group, and concludes that we are likely to see an increase in Westernised Muslims appearing on the battlefield in Somalia. Eventually we will see some of these men come home. It would not be surprising if there was an increase in localised targeting by these people of Western interests.