The Evolution of Salafi-Jihadist Terrorism

• In Event: Modern Terrorism

Abstract

The paper examines how Salafi-Jihadist terrorism has evolved since the Arab Spring. The instability that followed the Arab Spring allowed terrorist organizations to blend terrorism and insurgency to a greater extent than previously seen, often enabling groups to gain territorial holdings. This transformed the strategy and tactics of the groups. Terrorist organizations transformed from clandestine networks and cells into more public facing entities that increasingly rely on the public to achieve their objectives, both as lone wolf actors and as resource populations under the group’s control. The paper argues that contemporary terrorism in the Middle East represents an evolution of traditional fourth wave terrorism. The work examines several terrorist groups active in the Middle East and North Africa prior to and after the Arab Spring. It uses primary sources including the groups’ magazines, videos, writings, speeches, and seized documents to analyze how their strategy, tactics, ideology, objectives, and recruitment techniques had changed.

Author

• Cindy May, Lancaster University