What is lone wolf terrorism?
The term “lone wolf terrorism” refers to acts of violence committed by a single perpetrator. This person acts independently and without the help of outside organizations. A lone wolf terrorist can, however, follow the ideology of a particular organization or group and commit acts of terror to show support for that group. The planning and methods used by a lone wolf terrorist are independent. Even if individuals believe in the mission or purpose of a larger organization, they may never have contact with the group. In this way, they remain outside the detection of the police and cannot be easily controlled, which makes them difficult to arrest.
History of the term: Lone Wolf Terrorism
The term “lone wolf” has been used since the 12th century to describe the person who separates from the pack. The term has been used in detective films and novels for at least 19. A man who called himself the “Lone Wolf” tortured and terrorized women in Boston in the United States in 1914. The term was used to describe people who are distant from society; those who never belong.
The term “lone wolf” has been associated with terrorism dating back to the 1980s. Louis Beam, a member of the KKK and of the Aryan nation, wrote an article for his supporters, encouraging a revolution without leaders. He believed that a revolution against the American government would be more fruitful if it were led by independent individuals.
This idea continued to be promoted in the 1990s, by Tom Metzger and Alex Curtis. These two individuals, known to white supremacists in the United States, followed Louis Beam’s recommendation and encouraged their white supremacist colleagues to engage in independent acts of violence in order to prevent the police from dissuading them. . The FBI and the San Diego Police Department have launched an investigation into Alex Curtis, calling him an operation “Lone Wolf”.
Today, the term is used by the media, politicians, law enforcement officials and the general public.
The spread of lone wolf terrorism
The lone wolf terrorism was adopted by Al Qaeda after September 11, 2001, when US military forces attacked its operational base in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda leaders have urged their supporters to take part in independent acts of violence against their perceived enemies at all times. Years later, members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL and ISIL), followed suit by encouraging their supporters to participate to isolated terrorist acts.
Adopting the lone wolf terrorism tactic has indeed changed the fact of terrorism. When terrorist acts were once associated with major events orchestrated by a long chain of command, terrorist acts are increasingly carried out by autonomous cells or by individuals.
In fact, statistics show that throughout North America and Western Europe, the terrorism of the lone wolf associated with radical Islam increased between 1990 and 2013. This increase was noted in the number of countries targeted, in a certain number of injuries and deaths and in a number of attacks on the military.
Solitary Terrorism And Mental Health
Mental health experts believe that lone wolf terrorists tend to have psychological anomalies, prompted by personal or political grievances. Their mental instability may be the main factor that makes integration or belonging to everyday society difficult. This rejection can push them towards radical or extreme ideological groups and their causes. A study has shown that a lone wolf terrorist is 13.5 more likely to have a mental illness than a terrorist who works in a large group.
