Psychology of Terrorism

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make

you commit atrocities.--- Voltaire

Scope of Psychology of Terrorism.

“There is a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and organizations, each of which has a different psychology, motivation and decision making structure. Indeed, one should not speak of terrorist psychology in the singular, but rather of terrorist psychologies” (Post, 20012).

Early Origins of Terrorism

Reign of Terror, The Terror (French: la Terreur) -France

Little Did You Know!

Not just narcissism, hostility toward parents.

Mental illness not a critical factor-most not “psychopaths.”

No terrorist profile. Not all promote violence. Not much research on recruitment.

The Process of Ideological Development-Randy Borum Ph.D.

I t 's N o t R ig h tS o c ia l a nd E co n o m ic D e p riva tion

C o nte xt

It 's N o t F a irIn e qu a lity an d R e sen tm e nt

C o m pa rison

Y o u 're E v ilG e n era liz in g /S te re o typ ing

R e ac tion

D e h m a n iz in g /D eo m on iz ing th e E n e m y (C a u se)R e ac tion

It 's Y o ur F a u ltB la m e /A ttribu tion

A ttribu tion

IRA-The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh

na hÉireann)

1969-The Troubles Force of Arms,

Political Persuasion All-Island Ireland

State. (Socialist) 2005-End of Force of

Arms

Chechnya

1991-Fall of the Iron Curtain

Different groups with political, economic and/or ideological motivations.

Zapatista Army of National Liberation

indigenous peoples and some urban

1994-Declared War against the Mexican State.

Violent and Nonviolent-Internet Propaganda.

African National Congress

1912, 2004 Bring all Africans

together as one people to defend their rights and freedoms.

Religious and Cultural Motivations.

Nelson Mandela-Noble Peace Prize

The Weatherman-”You don't need a weatherman to

know which way the wind blows.”

1969 Destruction of

imperial government-classless world-communism

Bombings, jailbreaks, riots.

Disbanded 1973, end of Vietnam War.

The London Train Bombings 7/7

July 7, 2005. Suicide Bombers, Al-

Qaeda. 52 Victims, More

victims than any IRA attack, not that many deaths since bombings in WWII.

The following men are stated to have carried out the attacks:

The bombers caught on CCTV at Luton railway station at 07:21 a.m. on 7 July. From left to right, Hasib Hussain, Germaine Lindsay, Mohammad Sidique Khan, and Shehzad Tanweer.[20] (Image: Crown copyright)

Mohammad Sidique Khan (30) - Edgware Road Tube 8.50 a.m. Lived in Dewsbury with his heavily pregnant wife and young child. (Hasina Patel miscarried August 2005).

Shehzad Tanweer (22) - Aldgate Tube 8.50 a.m. Lived in Leeds with his mother and father working in a fish and chip shop.

Germaine Lindsay (19) - Russell Square 8.50 a.m. Lived in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire with his pregnant wife.

Hasib Hussain (18) - Tavistock Square 9.47 a.m. Lived in Leeds with his brother Imran and sister-in-law Shazia.