Lone wolf (terrorism)

A lone wolf or lone-wolf terrorist is someone who commits violent acts in support of some group, movement, or ideology, but who does so alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group. Although the lone wolf prepares and acts alone, the perpetrator may be influenced or motivated by the ideology and beliefs of an external group.

Origins of the term

According to the Anti-Defamation League, the term "lone wolf" was popularized by white supremacists Alex Curtis and Tom Metzger in the 1990s. Metzger advocated individual or small-cell underground activity, as opposed to above-ground membership organizations, envisaging "warriors acting alone or in small groups who attacked the government or other targets in 'daily, anonymous acts.'"[1] He referred to these so-called 'warriors' as "lone wolves".

Terrorism expert Brian Michael Jenkins of the RAND Corporation prefers the term stray dog to lone wolf. According to Jenkins, most individuals involved in such attacks "skulk about, sniffing at violence, vocally aggressive but skittish without backup".[2]

Current usage

The term "lone wolf" is used by US law enforcement agencies and the media to refer to individuals undertaking violent acts of terrorism outside a command structure. The FBI and San Diego Police's investigation into Curtis' activities was named Operation Lone Wolf, "largely due to Curtis' encouragement of other white supremacists to follow what Curtis refers to as 'lone wolf' activism".[3]

While the lone wolf acts to advance the ideological or philosophical beliefs of an extremist group, they act on their own, without any outside command or direction. The lone wolf's tactics and methods are conceived and directed solely on their own; in many cases, such as the tactics described by Curtis, the lone wolf never even has personal contact with the group they identify with. As such, it is considerably more difficult for counter-terrorism officials to gather intelligence on lone wolves, since they may not come into contact with routine counter-terrorist surveillance.

A 2013 analysis by Sarah Teich, a research assistant at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, found five emerging trends in Islamist lone wolf terrorism in North America and western Europe between 1990 and 2013:

In the United States, lone wolves may present a greater threat than organized groups. According to the Christian Science Monitor, "With the exception of the attacks on the World Trade Center, experts say the major terrorist attacks in the United States have been perpetrated by deranged individuals who were sympathetic to a larger cause – from Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh to the Washington area sniper John Allen Muhammad".[5]

Some groups actively advocate lone wolf actions. Anti-abortion militant terrorist group The Army of God uses "leaderless resistance" as its organizing principle.[6] According to The New York Times, in news analysis of the Boston Marathon bombings, the Al-Qaeda activist Samir Khan, publishing in Inspire, advocated individual terrorist actions directed at Americans and published detailed recipes online.[7]

List of lone wolf terrorist attacks

Africa, the Middle East and Asia

Europe

United States

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Canada

Australia

See also

References

  1. "Tom Metzger and White Aryan Resistance (WAR) – Extremism in America". Adl.org. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  2. Siegel, Jacob (24 October 2014). "Lone Wolves, Terrorist Runts, and the Stray Dogs of ISIS". Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  3. "Operation Lone Wolf". FBI. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  4. Teich, Sarah (October 2013). "Trends and Developments in Lone Wolf Terrorism in the Western World". International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  5. "Lone wolves pose explosive terror threat". Csmonitor.com. 2003-05-27. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  6. Jennifer Gonnerman (1998-11-10). "Villagvoice.com". Villagevoice.com. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  7. Scott Shane (May 5, 2013). "A Homemade Style of Terror: Jihadists Push New Tactics". The New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  8. Marsh, Rob (1991). Famous South African Crimes. Struik Timmins. ISBN 0869784390. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  9. JDL: Frequently Asked Questions Archived October 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. "1994: Jewish settler kills 30 at holy site". BBC News. 25 February 1994. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  11. "ABC.net.au". ABC.net.au. 2005-03-21. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  12. "BBC.co.uk". BBC News. 2005-03-22. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  13. Wilson, Scott (5 August 2005). "Jewish Settler Kills Four Israeli Arabs In Attack on Bus". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  14. "BBC.co.uk". BBC News. 2006-12-21. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  15. "Foxnews.com". Foxnews.com. 2006-04-17. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  16. "USAtoday.com". USAtoday.com. 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  17. Jpost.com
  18. "Did the media play a role in Salman Taseer’s murder? | LUBP". Criticalppp.com. 2011-01-25. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  19. name=McKittrick, McKittrick; David. "'Shooting 'followed frantic hunt for policeman': Inquest told how officer killed three men in Sinn Féin office. David McKittrick reports", The Independent, May 11, 1993.
  20. Buncombe, Andrew; Judd, Terri; and Bennett, Jason. "'Hate-filled' nailbomber is jailed for life" Archived December 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., The Independent, June 30, 2000. Archived December 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  21. Fortuyn killed 'to protect Muslims', The Daily Telegraph, 28 March 2003:[van der Graaf] said his goal was to stop Mr Fortuyn exploiting Muslims as "scapegoats" and targeting "the weak parts of society to score points" to try to gain political power.
  22. Pidd, Helen (3 March 2011). "Frankfurt airport shooting may have Islamist link, say police". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  23. "The World from Berlin: 'Germans Have to Distinguish between Muslims and Murderers'". Der Spiegel. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  24. "Mir Aimal Kansi News". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  25. "WashingtonPost.com: Abortion Violence". The Washington Post. 30 January 1999. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  26. "Neo-nazi Admits Killing Doctor". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. 26 April 1994. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  27. "(Female) Cop-Killer Executed in Alabama". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  28. "Lynda Block Heads For The Electric Chair Convinced The Government Is The Enemy.". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  29. "DEATH ON THE L.I.R.R.: The Confrontation; 3 Credited In Capture Of Gunman". The New York Times. 9 December 1993.
  30. McFadden, Robert D. (12 December 1993). "A Tormented Life -- A special report; A Long Slide From Privilege Ends in Slaughter on a Train". The New York Times.
  31. Uriel Heilman. "Murder on the Brooklyn Bridge". Middle East Forum. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  32. "WashingtonPost.com: Abortion Violence". The Washington Post. 30 January 1999. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  33. "FBI — TIMOTHY THOMAS COOMBS". FBI. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  34. "Washingtonpost.com: The Insanity Defense". The Washington Post. 28 February 1998. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  35. "Full text of "Sons of the Gestapo letters"". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  36. "20 Years Later, Sabotage Of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Still A Mystery". NPR.org. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  37. "CNN.com - Rudolph爎eveals motives - Apr 15, 2005". 19 April 2005. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  38. "National Alliance Founder William Pierce’s Writing Inspires Slaughter". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  39. Frederick Clarkson. "Brand new war for the Army of God?". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  40. "Recent Cases Of Abortion-Related Violence". The Huffington Post. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  41. Wulf/Colebrook, Steve (24 June 2001). "A TIME BOMB EXPLODES". TIME.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  42. "CNN.com". CNN.com. 1997-02-24. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  43. "S-t.com". S-t.com. 2012-12-03. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  44. Wire, Examiner (27 August 1997). "NATION DATELINES". SFGate. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  45. "Danbury Bank Robbery Linked To Neo-nazis". tribunedigital-thecourant. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  46. "CNN - Midwest shooting spree ends with apparent suicide of suspect - July 5, 1999". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  47. "CNN.com - Jury selection begins for anti-abortion activist's trial - Mar. 3, 2003". 3 March 2003. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  48. "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  49. "STATE v. MERRILL". Findlaw. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  50. White, Josh (19 March 2010). "Virginia executes man in 1999 murder of woman, rape of her sister". The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  51. http://staugustine.com/stories/120100/sta_1201000011.shtml. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  52. "Sentencing date set in Kim Cook case". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  53. "Cold killer's 20-mile trail leaves 5 dead". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  54. "Syracuse Synagogue Arsonist Convicted of Hate Crimes". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  55. "Person of the Week: Lucas Helder". TIME.com. 9 May 2002. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  56. Jim Nesbitt. "UNC attack called terror". Newsobserver.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  57. "Man sentenced to life in church shooting - US news - Crime & courts - NBC News". msnbc.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  58. Stumpe, Joe; Davey, Monica (1 June 2009). "Abortion Doctor Shot to Death in Kansas Church". The New York Times.
  59. "Elderly gunman kills guard at Holocaust Museum". Archived from the original on 13 June 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  60. "Suspect In 2010 Florida Mosque Bombing Killed In Oklahoma". 4 May 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  61. "FBI: Fla. Mosque Bombing Suspect Fatally Shot". Fox News. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  62. Lee, Henry K. (21 July 2010). "Alleged gunman says he wanted 'a revolution'". SFGate. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  63. "Heavily armed man orchestrates attack on Texas police building". CNN. 17 August 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  64. "Suspect in Maryland hostage situation published angry online manifesto". CNN. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  65. "Madera Man Pleads Guilty Of Burning Planned Parenthood". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  66. "Man accused of hate crime in Corvallis mosque arson". OregonLive.com. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  67. The Christian Science Monitor. "Failed Martin Luther King Day parade bomber gets 32-year sentence". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  68. "Man in 'sovereign citizen' group is wounded in shootout". star-telegram. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  69. "Purported Texas 'Sovereign Citizen' Who Issued 'Deadly Force' Threat To Court And Later Had Shootout With Police Officer Sentenced To 35 Years In State Prison, Prosecutors Say - PatrickPretty.com". PatrickPretty.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  70. Sally Mamdooh. "VIDEO REPORT: Explosive Device Damages Planned Parenthood Clinic". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  71. "New court docs: Makeshift lab, terrorism books found in Plano bomb suspect’s bedroom". Crime Blog. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  72. "LAX Shooting Suspect From South Jersey: Police". NBC New York. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  73. "F. Glenn Miller Jr. talks for the first time about the killings at Jewish centers". kansascity. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  74. (PDF) http://www.sbsheriff.us/documents/ISLAVISTAINVESTIGATIVESUMMARY.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  75. Rodney Harris, Mike Paluska (6 June 2014). "Man attempts to take over Forsyth County Courthouse". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  76. "Killers of Las Vegas cops harbored anti-government ideology". Reuters. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  77. "Dallas police: Anti-government Corinth gunman said he wanted to occupy house in Far North Dallas". Crime Blog. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  78. Justin Wm. Moyer (17 September 2014). "Survivalism: The stark ideology that may have led to killing of a Pennsylvania state trooper". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  79. "Hatchet assault on New York police comes during fears of Islamist attacks". CNN. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  80. "Chief on Austin gunman: ‘Hate was in his heart’". KXAN.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  81. David Crary and Eric Tucker (May 6, 2015). "Texas incident fuels concern about lone-wolf terror attacks". Associated Press. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  82. "Quick Links". CNN. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  83. "'I forgive you': Suspect stone-faced as relatives of church massacre victims offer compassion". Fox News. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  84. Kuhn, Andrew (November 9, 2015). "New questions emerge about background of UC Merced attacker". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  85. "Soldier dies after being run down in suspected terror attack near Montreal". National Post. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
  86. "Canadian soldiers run down in possible Quebec terror attack". Toronto Star. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
  87. "Lone wolf terrorists hard to stop: Experts". Edmonton Sun. 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  88. "Shots fired inside Canada parliament". BBC. 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  89. "Soldier shot at War Memorial in Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  90. Fraser, Jill (18 December 2014). "Australian expert warns of 'lone wolf' terror risk". Anadolou Agency. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  91. "Man Haron Monis: Why did he carry out Sydney siege?". NewsComAu. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  92. "Experts Say Sydney Hostage Taker Man Haron Monis Wasn't A Terrorist, Just A Man With Mental Problems". The Inquisitr News. Retrieved 17 July 2015.

"Operation Lone Wolf"; http://www.fbi.gov/sandiego/about-us/history/operation-lone-wolf

Further reading

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.