Self-radicalization
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Self-radicalization is a phenomenon in which individuals become terrorism|terrorists without affiliating with a radical group, although they may be influenced by its ideology and message. It usually addresses radical Islam, but there certainly have been instances of "lone wolf" terrorism from all ideologies. Self-radicalization does not mean the eventual terrorist activity never affiliates with a group, or even takes place in the country of radicalization. that Many attacks considered completely "home-grown" have had assistance, but the participants came together in the West. The four men directly involved in the 9/11 attack radicalized while in Hamburg, Germany, and then traveled to Pakistan. The 2005 London bombings were committed by British citizens, although subsequent investigation suggested that after radicalization, they may have obtained training from al-Qaeda, and then returned. [1] Many had seen the U.S. as relatively immune to this, due to societal characteristics, and indeed it had been seen, in various forms, in Europe long before recent U.S. cases of Islamist radicalism. Peter Bergen observed,
Exporting terroristsBergen and others observed that the U.S. was not immune to its citizens, such as John Walker Lindh, going abroad to join terrorist movements. In these cases, the self-radicalization led to joining a movement, rather than conducting an act of terrorism at home. Acting locallyA clearer case seems to have been associated with the 2009 Fort Hood shootings by Nidal Hasan. [3] He was born and educated in the United States, and, while in electronic contact with Anwar al-Aulaqi, did not leave the U.S. or, as far as is known, associated with any groups. He received only two messages from al-Aulaqui and was not under his operational direction. [4] The Oklahoma City bombing perpetrator was a U.S. citizen who became radicalized over the Ruby Ridge and Branch Davidians|Waco incidents, but was actually rejected by domestic right-wing groups he tried to join. Misperceptions of self-radicalizationMost of the participants in the 2004 Madrid bombings were first thought to involve self-radicalization, but it now appears that most were radicalized before the 9/11 attack and the Iraq War, but the actual group coalesced in Spain. Most were economic immigrants although one was a native Spaniard. Internet access complemented face-to-face group formation, allowing downloading of such things as the works of Sayyid Qutb and Abdullah Azzam. [5] Indeed, "a gradual sense of progressive involvement, usually considered a consistent quality among those becoming terrorists, seems to be absent for some latecomers in the Madrid bombing network. [6] References
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