course material

1. ****REPLY TO EACH POST MIN 100 WORDS EACH**** 1. In
****REPLY TO EACH POST MIN 100 WORDS EACH****1. In this week’s forum it discusses
two pathways to terrorism explained by Professor Mohammed Hafez at a Congressional
Forum on Islam. The first process that is most visible is the top-down process. Hafez
describes that this process is utilized by centralized organizations in which they promote
radical ideology by utilizing social services. The bottom-up process is when the individual
person has some sort or trauma or grievance against someone or something and eventually
seek out radical groups. Critical element of the top-down process allows these groups to
indoctrinate youth at early ages with radicalization and indoctrination. As where the
bottom-process is usually coming from the individuals with a past grievance and may have
a problem with their identity. Hafez describes that in both paths it can be both a fast and
slow process but is a step by step process that leads the individual to slowly cut their ties to
the secular world. Usually there is some sort of friendship that can lead them to a radical
group and then often cutting ties with other friends and family. I would have to say the one
that would be easier to identify and interdict would be the bottom-up process. This process
is what we are typically seeing with domestic and lone wolf terrorists, and although pose a
threat they would be easier to stop the radicalization process. There are more models out
there for the radicalization process. King describes five radicalization pathways including
Borum’s Pathway in which a individual justifies terrorism through “it’s not right” (pg. 604).
The other four models are the Wittorowiez’s Theory of Joining Extremist Groups,
Modhaddam’s Staircase to Terrorism, and The NYPD’s Radicalization Process (pg.
607).2. According to Professor Mohammed Hafez, terrorists are not motivated by one
catalyst inspiring Muslim’s to commit to jihad (CSIS Forum 2007). Professor Hafez identifies
three categories of radicals and two definitive paths to terrorism. The first path being the
top-down process is described to be major organizations distributing ideas by the use of
public welfare operations to promote extremist ideology (CSIS Forum 2007). Some of the
critical elements in these models are demographics, history of violence, government
deception, and tyranny from current government policies. People who feel as if there way of
life are being threaten have the basic human instincts to fight for their survival (McClauley
2008). That is what I believe has been happening over the years in the Middle-east and Asia.
Countries have resources that tend to benefit the elites and politics before it benefits the
people. They see the US as the catalyst for these issues because of its wealth and global
dominance. There is a competition for survival and right now the US is looking like the team
that has all the resources its needs to stay on top.The bottom up process is less public and

2. stemming from a list of troublesome issues from government and history. There is a
network of issues individuals use to motivate their cause to extreme violence, one of the
biggest motivators is persecution (McClauley 2008). These same issues can be applied to
any of us. If someone committed an act of violence and killed my family I would retaliate.
This is common human emotion that can be targeted for recruiting of individuals. That and
you add on the belief that a paradise is awaiting you if you successfully kill your enemies
you may have a number of followers dedicated to this idea.Some methods to interdict these
paths are severe judicial punishment, the sense of security and the ability to disrupt funding
(Berger 2010). Individuals may not tolerate the consequences of being affiliated with an
organization that cannot protect its members nor have the funding to carry out their
mission objectives. If the laws in a specific country are so severe to thus causing violence
this may deter individuals because the cost may be their livelihood and that of their family
members.It may be difficult to assess what solution may be applied to interdict these paths.
Specific countries and regions have different laws and regulation that may or may not make
it easier to disrupt the pathway to terrorism. From the reading material I believe the bottom
up process is easier to interdict because you can track what events that can spark
retaliation of a group of individuals. The top-down process presents is obvious and requires
detailed observation of what information is being shared. It can prove to be misleading
since it is publicly announced and may throw analysts off the and prevent interruption of
their operations.I know there are other models out there leading to terrorism. There are a
variety of issues at hand that may force a group of individuals to act against the
government, such as politics, race, economy, and social injustices. In truth everyone just
wants to ensure they have a future for their perceived way of life and do not want to be
manipulated to believing that progress is what is will benefit them the most.3. Ted
Kaczynski driving factor isn’t very clear. Although he felt some sort of resentment. It’s
unclear where the feeling came from. He clearly was upset at something dealing with his
parents. Could it be his mental illness had some impact in his actions or maybe he
legitimately had resentment towards his parents for a reason only he knew. And his parents
had forgotten. Maybe it could have been an issue that occurred within his life. Anyone is
capable of committing acts of terrorism. Mental issues as we read in the past lessons are not
a sole personality. Therefore radicalization should really be viewed as a complex process
comprised of behavioral, psychological, economic, social, and political and personal factors
that can lead to extremism. In regards of what path seems to best describe it is the Staircase
to Terrorism by Moghaddam’s. The following five steps are perceived opinions to fight
unfair treatment, displacement of aggression, moral engagement, solidification of
categorical thinking and the perceived legitimacy of the terrorist organization, and finally
the terrorist act.Tim McVeigh driving factors consisted of the events that took place in Ruby
Ridge and Waco. Those events fueled his feelings of anger and oppression from the
government. Although, it originally began with him being discharged from the army.
Radicalization specialist often point out the following mixtures of factors that come together
to produce extremism: grievance, networks, ideologies, and enabling environments and
support structures. In regards of what radicalization process, I think it’s follows Borum’s
four stage model into terrorist mindset 2003. The main theoretical underpinning of the

3. model was to demonstrate how grievances can be turned into hatred against a particular
group.4. Ted Kaczynski was an interesting case of homegrown extremism because it is a
rare case of a truly independent terrorist. Every model that we have studied points towards
a connection with an organization, an inspiration by the rhetoric of an extremist group, or
an inspiration caused by a religious teacher. Kaczynski did not fit this profile. Within the
case studies, the only reference made to an outside connection with other likeminded
believers was extreme left-wing books in Kaczynski’s cabin. Kaczynski was inspired to
violence by what he perceived as a technologically driven world that was controlling its
citizens. He believed that people had become robots or slaves to technology. This hatred of
technology is what led him to moving to a secluded, wilderness home. The technological
injects into that world, such as timber workers and overhead aircraft, became the targets of
his violence. “Borum’s Pathway” is the closest radicalization process to explain Ted
Kaczynski’s path to violence. He viewed the technological world as the perpetrator and the
agrarian world as the victim and more ideal end state. This mimics Borum’s first two steps
of judging your situation as unfair and another situation as ideal. Steps three and four are to
develop someone to blame and then to vilify that person or persons. Kaczynski blamed
technology companies, educational centers, and even the airlines for imposing this world on
people (King & Taylor, 2011).Timothy McVeigh is a dramatically different case because he
appears to be a lonewolf terrorist but is actually part of a group. McVeigh’s primary
grievance was what he viewed as oppression of American citizens by the federal
government. The cases of Ruby Ridge and Waco made McVeigh believe that the government
was unjustifiably killing its own citizens. These killings were the result of those citizens
exercising their rites to gun ownership, which was an important rite to McVeigh. The best
model to explain McVeigh’s radicalization is “Sageman’s Four Prongs.” Sageman uses three
cognitive factors and one physical factor that will lead to violence (King & Taylor, 2011).
The cognitive factors existed for McVeigh. The first factor is “moral outrage”. McVeigh was
outraged that the federal government would use violence to do acts that he considered to be
oppression. The second factor is a “frame to interpret the world”. McVeigh believed that he
was a soldier to fight oppression. The third is “personal experience”. The defining
experience for McVeigh was joining the Army and then failing out of Special Forces. This
created an internal rift between him and the government. The physical factor is
“mobilization through networks.” McVeigh met likeminded people in the Army who would
eventually become his accomplices. He was also heavily inspired by the book The Turner
Diaries. The Diaries is an extreme right-wing book that describes a bombing of a
governmental building (Counter Extremism Project).