Lone Wolf Terrorism

by Jeffrey D. Simon

  Another factor that might bring more women into the ranks of lone wolves is the global economic crisis, which will take a long time to resolve. This has led to major disruptions in people's lives, as they lose their homes, jobs, savings, and more. A sense of hopelessness consumes their everyday existence. Some of these unfortunate people may therefore turn to violence, including individual terrorist attacks, to address their grievances. This could include lone wolf attacks by men or women on banks, financial institutions, government officials, and others.

  The most important factor, however, that is likely to lead to a breakdown in women's reluctance to engage in lone wolf terrorist activities will be the continual growth and impact of the Internet. Two recent examples may be harbingers of what is in store as more women gain confidence and knowledge through the Internet to embark on terrorist missions.

  THE ONLINE ODYSSEY OF JIHAD JANE

  It all started in June 2008, when a diminutive, forty-five-year-old, blue-eyed, American blonde, Colleen LaRose, posted a comment on YouTube under the username “JihadJane,” stating that she was “desperate to do something somehow to help” the suffering Muslim people.62 LaRose, a convert to Islam, had a troubled past, which included two failed marriages, convictions for passing a bad check and driving under the influence, and an attempted suicide. She posted many more YouTube videos over time, most of them training videos or violent scenes she had taken from jihadi websites.63 She had a MySpace webpage that contained photos of her wearing both a hijab, which is a headscarf worn by Muslim women, and a burqa, which covers the entire face and body.64 LaRose also used the alias “Fatima LaRose” in her numerous Internet postings and communications. She communicated via e-mail with people in Europe and South Asia about mutual desires to become martyrs for the Islamic cause.

  One e-mail message she received in December 2008 was from a man in a South Asian country who stated his desire to wage jihad and become a martyr. LaRose responded with an e-mail indicating that she, too, wanted to become a martyr. Then, in January 2009, LaRose received an e-mail from a woman in a western European country, stating that she “tried twice [to become a martyr] but i wasnt [sic] successful…[but] i will…try until Allah will m[a]ke it easy for me.” LaRose responded with an e-mail that once again expressed her desire to become a martyr in the name of Allah.

  The flurry of Internet activity continued in February 2009, when LaRose explained in an e-mail to the South Asian man why she could be valuable to the cause of Islamic extremism. She wrote that, because of her all-American physical appearance and US citizenship, she would be able to “blend in with many people,” which “may be a way to achieve what is in my heart.” LaRose was in communication with yet another man from a South Asian country in March. This man stated that he “can deal in bombs and explosives effecti[v]ely” and that LaRose “can get access to many places due to ur [sic] nationality.” That man also asked LaRose to “marry me to get me inside europe [sic].” LaRose agreed to marry the man and wrote that she would obtain residency status in a European country. LaRose then contacted the Swedish Embassy in March via e-mail, requesting information on how to acquire permanent residency status in Sweden. Less than two weeks later, that same man sent LaRose an e-mail telling her to travel to Sweden to kill Lars Vilks, a Swedish illustrator who had angered Muslims throughout the world in 2007, when he drew a derogatory caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. LaRose enthusiastically agreed, e-mailing back that “i will make this my goal till I achieve it or die trying.” The man then instructed LaRose to kill Vilks “in a way that the whole Kufar [non-believer] world get [sic] frightened.”

  Having made contact through the Internet with other like-minded potential terrorists, LaRose then posted an online solicitation for funds on July 1. Meanwhile, the FBI, which by now had become aware of her attempt to aid and join Islamic extremist movements worldwide, interviewed LaRose on July 17. She lied to the agents, telling them that she had never solicited funds for terrorism, had not made online postings to a terrorist website, and had not used the online username “JihadJane.” Apparently not concerned or worried about the FBI interview, LaRose continued to try to recruit more people.

  After being encouraged and emboldened through her Internet activity to wage jihad, LaRose took the next step and traveled to Europe on August 23. She had in her possession the stolen passport of her boyfriend, which she intended to give to a male member of her budding terrorist network. The purpose of her trip to Europe was to live and train with jihadists and to find and assassinate Vilks. She joined an online community while there that was hosted by Vilks. She also conducted online searches of Vilks and his location. On September 30, she sent an e-mail to the man she agreed to marry, stating that she considered it “an honour & great pleasure to die or kill for” him and pledging that “only death will stop me here that I am so close to the target!” However, she was arrested on October 16 after returning to the United States without completing her mission.

  LaRose's arrest was not made public until March 2010, when several people, including those with whom LaRose had communicated over the Internet regarding the plot to kill Vilks, were arrested in Ireland. One of those detained was Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, another American woman who had converted to Islam, whom LaRose had recruited through e-mails for her planned terrorist activities. Paulin-Ramirez returned voluntarily to the United States in April 2010 and was arrested by federal agents in Philadelphia. She pled guilty in March 2011 to conspiring to provide support to terrorists and faced a fifteen-year prison sentence. She was scheduled to be sentenced in November 2012. LaRose, meanwhile, pled guilty in February 2011 to four federal charges, including conspiracy to murder a foreign target, conspiracy to support terrorists, and lying to the FBI. Her sentencing was scheduled for December 2012, where she faced the possibility of life in prison.65

  We see in the case of Jihad Jane how a single individual, living in a Philadelphia suburb, can, through the magic of the Internet, build a terrorist network from scratch with online postings and communications. She demonstrated how an individual with no prior contacts with extremists anywhere could announce her intention to become a martyr for the Islamic militant cause and then just sit back and see what unfolds. It would be hard to imagine LaRose being able to reach around the globe for advice, support, funds, and comrades without the existence of e-mails, YouTube, MySpace, and other Internet wonders.

  The LaRose case, however, also illustrates a potential Achilles’ heel for lone wolves who act as recklessly on the Internet as LaRose did. LaRose's flaunting of her desire to commit terrorist acts through her numerous e-mails and her advocacy of Islamic extremism through her many YouTube postings made her an easy target for identification by not only law enforcement agencies but also by others patrolling the Internet to uncover extremist websites and those advocating terrorist attacks. In fact, online monitoring groups such as My Pet Jawa and YouTube Smackdown, whose volunteers pressure Internet service providers to take down websites that are tied to extremist groups or contain material in support of Islamic extremism, claim to have known about LaRose long before law enforcement discovered her activities and to have alerted the authorities about her growing militancy.66 Therefore, one of the main advantages lone wolves have over organized terrorist groups and cells—namely, the ability to fly under the radar, since they usually work alone and do not leave a trail of communications that might be intercepted by authorities—can be compromised by those lone wolves who delve into the world of the Internet without taking precautions to cover their tracks.

  BRITAIN'S FEMALE LONE WOLF: ROSHONARA CHOUDHRY

  Whereas Colleen LaRose needed the emotional and logistical support of others to gain the confidence to plot a terrorist attack, all Roshonara Choudhry needed to gain the confidence to actually carry one out was a series of downloaded video sermons by the extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. The American-born al-Awlaki, who was the spiritual leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, was killed in a US drone attack in Yemen in 201
1. He could be considered the godfather of lone wolf terrorists, having influenced from afar a diverse array of extremists, including Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. But it was his influence over Choudhry, a bright, young British woman whom he never met, e-mailed, or talked to, that demonstrates how rapidly one can be drawn into the web of terrorism via the Internet.

  Choudhry was the eldest daughter of a poor family struggling to make ends meet. Her father was an unemployed Bangladeshi tailor. Her mother was born in Britain. Both her parents were living off benefits from the state and whatever income the children could raise through work. Choudhry was determined to make her life better than her parents’, attending the prestigious King's College in London, where she studied English and communications and attained high grades. She also volunteered at an Islamic school. However, she inexplicably dropped out of college toward the end of her final year, despite the fact that she was expected to achieve a first-class degree, which is the highest level in the British university system.67

  Unbeknownst to anybody, the model student began downloading the sermons of al-Awlaki in November 2009. She had given no prior indication of being sympathetic to those who espoused Islamic extremist views. But that is exactly what al-Awlaki did in his sermons. He preached “the need for violent action to combat the atrocities of the West against Muslims around the world, and urged followers to do what they could, when they could, no matter how small.”68 Choudhry downloaded and listened to more than one hundred sermons by al-Awlaki between November 2009 and May 2010. She would later tell police that she “became interested in Anwar al-Awlaki's lectures because he explains things really comprehensively and in an interesting way so I thought I could learn a lot from him and I was surprised at how little I knew about my religion so that motivated me to learn more.”69

  Choudhry's praise of al-Awlaki was similar to how Italian anarchists in the United States described the influence of another charismatic leader, Luigi Galleani, who, after coming to America in the early 1900s, became a lightning rod for the anarchist movement. His voluminous writings and spellbinding speeches quickly won him a loyal following. Those who heard him speak described him as a “forceful orator,” “most effective debater,” and the “soul of the movement.” One anarchist recalled that “you hung on every word when he spoke,” while another said that “he spoke directly to my heart.” Other testimonials said that “he expressed what I wanted to say but couldn't because I didn't have the words” and that “you heard Galleani speak and you were ready to shoot the first policeman you saw.”70 The same could be said for al-Awlaki, who was able to do all of this over the Internet.

  Choudhry didn't shoot a policeman. Instead, she targeted Stephen Timms, a member of parliament (MP) who supported the war in Iraq. She found a website that described his voting record and how he was among the most consistent supporters of the war. “That made me feel angry,” Choudhry told police, “because the whole Iraq war is just based on lies and he just voted strongly for everything as though he had no mercy.” She added, “I just felt like if he could treat the Iraqi people so mercilessly, then why should I show him any mercy?”71

  Having decided to assassinate Timms, Choudhry purchased two knives and made an appointment to visit with him at one of his constituency meetings on May 14, 2010. Prior to the meeting, she paid off her student loan, relieving her parents of liability for the debt. After walking into Timms's office, she stated that she had to see the MP and not one of his assistants. Even though the security guard noticed that she seemed anxious, she was still allowed to wait for Timms. When Timms came out to greet her, he was surprised at what he saw. Choudhry, who was dressed in black and wearing traditional Muslim clothing, walked up to him as though wanting to shake his hand. He thought that was strange, since Muslim women dressed the way Choudhry was would not normally take the initiative to shake a man's hand. Choudhry then pulled a knife from her bag and stabbed him twice in the stomach. The security guard and one of Timms's assistants immediately restrained her until police arrived.72

  Timms recovered from his wounds, and Choudhry was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of fifteen years. Like most religious extremists, Choudhry showed no remorse and simply smiled when the sentence was announced. Timms expressed sympathy for the young woman, stating, “I think she wanted to be a teacher. Throwing all of that away because of what she saw on the web. I think that's tragic.”73 Choudhry thought it was noble: “I feel like I've ruined the rest of my life,” she told police. “I feel like it's worth it because millions of Iraqis are suffering and I should do what I can to help them and not just be inactive and do nothing when they suffer.”74

  What baffled authorities was how Choudhry could fly so low under the radar. After her arrest, they searched her computers for contacts with Islamic extremists but found none. She had no connection to any Islamist group and had not attended any meetings.75 She did not go to any mosque but instead prayed at home. One of the detectives questioning her could not believe she acted totally alone. “Forgive me,” he said. “I just find it a little bit strange that you're doing all this on your own and not speaking to anyone else about [it].” Choudhry explained why she didn't talk to anybody about her militancy: “Because nobody would understand. And anyway, I didn't wanna tell anyone because I know that if anybody else knew, they'd get in trouble ’cos then they would be like implicated in whatever I do, so I kept it a secret.”76

  One can only imagine the discipline required for a young woman to keep to herself her journey from a diligent, top-of-her class student at a prestigious university to a fervent believer in jihad with the need to kill a politician based on his voting record in Parliament. Her suddenly dropping out of college, however, could have been a warning sign that something was amiss, similar to the practice of many suicide bombers who cut all ties with their families and friends weeks before they commit their attacks. But Choudhry's attack caught everyone by surprise. Not surprising, though, was the reaction of the British government, which called for websites hosting al Qaeda videos to be taken down. Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones stated that the websites would be banned in Britain. “They incite cold-blooded murder,” she said. “And as such are surely contrary to the public good.”77

  The Internet, however, is an irreversible fact of life in the twenty-first century, and for every militant site that is taken down, another one appears somewhere else in cyberspace, able to elude the authorities and appeal to impressionable and inquisitive people around the world. The void created by the killing of influential terrorists such as Anwar al-Awlaki and Osama bin Laden is quickly filled by others ready and willing to fan the flames of hatred and intolerance.

  The Internet is also doing its part to convince some women that the risks of lone wolf terrorist activity are worth taking. In addition to offering valuable information on potential targets, weapons, tactics, and causes, it is also providing them with human interaction. Whether it is in the case of LaRose, who felt connected with others around the world through e-mails and other online activity, or in the case of Choudhry, who felt inspired by a voice and face that was always just one click away on her computer, nobody has to feel alone anymore when planning and implementing a lone wolf terrorist attack. The experiences of LaRose and Choudhry may just be the tip of the iceberg of more women joining the ranks of the lone wolves.

  Long before the word terrorism was introduced to the world during the French Revolution,1 another term associated with violence was already entrenched in the public's mind. The word assassination had its origins in a militant group, the Assassins, who were active in Persia and Syria between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. Led initially by a charismatic figure, Hasan Sabbah, also known as the “Old Man of the Mountain,” the group spread terror and fear throughout the region.

  The Assassins came from the ranks of the Ismailis, a Shi'a Islamic sect, and were willing to die for their cause, which was to overthrow the Sunni establishment. They usually made no attempt to escape after thrusting
daggers into their victims, who included princes, officers, and religious dignitaries.2 The Assassins were fiercely loyal to their leader, who promised them entry into paradise if they obeyed his every command. As Bernard Lewis notes in his classic book The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam, the legend of the Assassins spread to Europe, where they caught the interest of poets, who became fascinated with the Assassins’ devotion to their leader. “Just as the Assassins serve their master unfailingly, so I have served Love with unswerving loyalty,” a Provençal troubadour told his lover. Another says: “You have me more fully in your power [than] the Old Man has his Assassins, who go to kill his mortal enemies.”3

  Assassination as a tactic of terrorists actually preceded the era of the Assassins. Jewish extremist groups—the Zealots and the Sicarii—used assassinations and other forms of violence as a means for provoking a revolutionary uprising against Roman rule in Palestine during the first century. That revolt failed, with more than nine hundred extremists taking their own lives rather than surrender to Roman forces, which were about to enter their fortress at Masada in the year 73 CE. Many other terrorist groups throughout history also employed assassination as a terrorist tactic, including Narodnaya Volya, which, as we saw earlier, waged an assassination campaign against the Russian government in the late-nineteenth century.

  Assassinations can take many different forms. The Assassins and the Zealots stabbed their victims to death, while Narodnaya Volya used dynamite to kill its targets. Today's assassins can choose from a variety of weapons, ranging from assault rifles and sophisticated improvised explosive devices to secretive weapons such as poison-tipped umbrellas.4 Yet, despite the widespread use of assassinations by groups, individuals, and states, it is not always accepted that this is indeed an act of terrorism. For example, one author writes: “The violence I discuss involves in most instances politically motivated activity by groups, not individuals…. [Terrorism is not] the isolated assassination of a government leader.”5