|
|
The Roles of Foreign Fighters in Insurgencies: A Typology
Klein, Gabriel ; Aslan, Emil (advisor) ; Laryš, Martin (referee)
The master's thesis deals with the phenomenon of foreign fighters primarily represented by contemporary jihadists. The author explores the insufficiently researched issue of participation of jihadist foreign fighters in insurgencies regarding their roles and activities in conflict zones. First, the author reviews the available academic literature on the concept of foreign fighters focusing on key definitions. Subsequently, the academic literature on seven most significant jihadist foreign-fighter mobilisations, Afghanistan (1980-1992), Bosnia (1992-1995), Somalia (1993-present), Chechnya (1994-2009), Afghanistan (2001-present), Iraq (2003-present), and Syria (2011-present), is analysed to identify patterns of similarity and difference in the jihadist foreign fighters' roles and activities. The author then introduces five distinct types of jihadist foreign fighters: 1) military and ideological leaders, field commanders; 2) foot soldiers; 3) suicide attackers; 4) support personnel; and 5) jihadist brides/wives. Each type is characterised based on the empirical evidence from the seven abovementioned cases of jihadist foreign-fighter mobilisations. Keywords Foreign Fighters, Insurgency, Jihadism, Roles, Typology Title The Roles of Foreign Fighters in Insurgencies: A Typology
|
|
|
Homegrown Terrorism in the United States, 2001-2015
Zelinka, Ondřej ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Divišová, Kristýna (referee)
The thesis focuses on the topic of homegrown terrorism in the United States in the time period between the years 2001 and 2015. The first part of the thesis declares the diffe- rences betweeen domestic and homegrown terrorism, which in the Czech language exists un- der one term translatable as domestic terrorism. After setting these ground rules the definiti- on of the homegrown terrorism is determined. The next chapter then focuses on the two main types of homegrown terrorism and extremism, the jihadist and the right-wing, their ideological background and historical context. In the case of the right-wing terorrism the thesis also fo- cuses on the main types of right-wing extremism, which are based on racist, fundamental and anti-government ideology. The thesis also analyses the main terror attacks and plots from both jihadist and right-wing side, which were executed between the years 2001-2015. The final chapter of the thesis focuses on statistic data and it's analysis, which results into a comparison of the lethality and dangerousness of the two main types of homegrown terrorism, the creation of a profile of an average homegrown terrorist and overall analysis of the statistic data. Keywords domestic terrorism, homegrown terrorism, USA, right-wing extremism, muslim extre- mism, jihadist extremism,...
|
|
| |
|
|
Processes of Radicalisation: Foreign Fighters from Western Europe Who Fought for Islamic State
Truchlá, Jana ; Bureš, Oldřich (advisor) ; Nocheva, Nikolena Hristova (referee)
The awareness that the threat of terrorism is no longer linked only to the Middle East, but has home-grown nature and arisen from young people living on European soil, alarmed the public and subsequently provoked increased interest in radicalisation research. 9/11 or the European terrorist attacks in London or Madrid have led to the increasing media attention of the phenomenon of radicalisation occurring among young European Muslims. At the beginning of the new millennium, the threat stemming from terrorism embodied one of the most urgent security challenges, whether for politicians or scholars. The academic and political interest in research into factors that increase the risk of radicalisation to violent extremism has ended up in many efforts to grasp and properly define radicalisation, or to outline the expected pathways of radicalisation (Veldhuis, 2009: 1). In my thesis, I build on these efforts of prominent experts and I examine the effect of the factors contributing to violent radicalisation like social networks, dissatisfaction with current reality, moral outrage, family and individual characteristics including criminal backgrounds. I look at the impact of these factors in case studies of three Western European countries - Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. Except discussing specific...
|
|
|
The Caliphate on the Halt: Explaining the Stalling Campaign of the Islamic State in Libya
Lovecký, Tomáš ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Hynek, Nikola (referee)
This diploma thesis examines the prospects of the Islamic State's expansion to Libya. Using the method of process tracing, the author assesses the campaign of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and establishes 6 factors he calls ‚enablers' that played key roles in facilitating its success - the ideology, exploitation of state breakdown and governance, funding, combat know-how, propaganda, and sectarianism. He dedicates special attention to the problematics of sectarianism and the way the Islamic State made instrumental use of it in both of these countries. The author then proceeds to assess the viability of the IS enterprise in Libya, examining whether the conditions and circumstances in the country are conducive for an IS unsurgency. He identifies 8 structural conditions that underpinned the relevant enablers in Syria and assesses their relevance in Libya. Comparison of the two cases shows that except for sectarianism all the structural conditions are relevantly present in Libya which, according to J. S. Mill's method of a difference of J. S. Mill's method of a difference, should explain the stalling campaign of IS in Libya. The author proceeds to confirm this hypothesis by assessing the actual campaign of the Islamic State in Libya. He contends the Islamic State tried to follow the successful...
|
|
|
Homegrown Terrorism in the United States, 2001-2015
Zelinka, Ondřej ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Divišová, Kristýna (referee)
The thesis focuses on the topic of homegrown terrorism in the United States in the time period between the years 2001 and 2015. The first part of the thesis declares the diffe- rences betweeen domestic and homegrown terrorism, which in the Czech language exists un- der one term translatable as domestic terrorism. After setting these ground rules the definiti- on of the homegrown terrorism is determined. The next chapter then focuses on the two main types of homegrown terrorism and extremism, the jihadist and the right-wing, their ideological background and historical context. In the case of the right-wing terorrism the thesis also fo- cuses on the main types of right-wing extremism, which are based on racist, fundamental and anti-government ideology. The thesis also analyses the main terror attacks and plots from both jihadist and right-wing side, which were executed between the years 2001-2015. The final chapter of the thesis focuses on statistic data and it's analysis, which results into a comparison of the lethality and dangerousness of the two main types of homegrown terrorism, the creation of a profile of an average homegrown terrorist and overall analysis of the statistic data. Keywords domestic terrorism, homegrown terrorism, USA, right-wing extremism, muslim extre- mism, jihadist extremism,...
|
guest ::
