Europe’s “new” jihad: Homegrown, leaderless, virtual

Abstract:

Recent terrorist attacks in Europe were committed by homegrown radicals, mostly by loners with limited ties to the Islamic State, if any. Many observers agree that the jihadi threat is indeed changing, but the nature of these changes is often exaggerated or misconceived. As a result, our capacity to craft effective counter-terrorism policies is hindered, despite their urgent necessity. This policy brief seeks therefore to better understand the key elements and drivers of the new jihadi threat in Europe – and indeed to determine what is actually new about it – while offering some recommendations.