An Introduction
Terrorism is a disease. The innocent people including women and children are killed mercilessly by the terrorists in the name of false ideology.
Lately, lone wolf terrorist attacks have become conspicuous and dangerous to detect and to prevent by the intelligence and security agencies. Even though the world is facing Covid-19 pandemic, terrorists find a way to kill ordinary people.
Salafists-Jihadists
Two months ago, a lone wolf was arrested by British Police after he attacked and killed three people at a Forbury Gardens in Reading. Khairi Saadallah was originally from Libya. Khairi is 25 years old. Even though the British Intelligence Agency had identified him but he is not considered as a high risk.
Last February, Sudesh Amman, who was shot dead by police after he had stabbed two people in Streatham. Amman was 20 years old. Although he was considered by the British security forces as a potential threat, the limitations on their resources have restricted their ability to prevent such attacks. He was under surveillance by the intelligence agencies because of his previous conviction on terror related offences.
Meanwhile, two prisoners were arrested this March for stabbing a prison officer at the HMP Whitemoor which is a maximum-security prison. Both of them are at the ages of 24 and 26 years old. They were charged on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and preparation of a terrorist act. In the attack, they had intentionally used the improvised explosive device (IED) and fake suicide belts. Immeasurably, they have inflicted injuries to three more prison officers and a nurse.
Last November, Usman Khan, who was previously sentenced for terror related crimes stabbed five people in London Bridge, and two of his innocent victims were slain. Even though, he was considered a substantial risk and surprisingly the court allowed his appeal by substituting his sentence with a 16-year-fixed term. He committed this attack while he was on licence.
In 2017, Salman Abedi, who is Libyian origin detonated an IED and killed 22 people and injured nearly a thousand people. He was 22 years old. His brother, Hashem Abedi was convicted for murder this March. Most of the victims were children. The security and intelligence agencies believed he was acting as a lone wolf even though others were cognizant about this noxious attack. Interestingly he was recognized to the security forces and considered as not a significant risk.
In 2018, a lone wolf was arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police who planned to launch an attack on election day. She is a leader of an aligned ISIS group in Malaysia. She was intrigued to bomb a polling site in Puchong and non-Muslim worship places with an IED vehicle. Further, she was able to conceal her indulgence towards Salafist ideology from her husband and he was surprised with her arrest.
Right-wing Extremists
Last year, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Brenton Harrison Tarrant had murdered more fifty people and a further forty were injured in two mass shootings. The attacks occurred at two mosques located at Deans Avenue and Linwood Avenue. He was 28 years old at time of the attack and subscribed to the right wing ideology. Early this year,he pleaded guilty to all charges and a sentencing trial is scheduled to begin later this month.
In 2011, a right wing extremist, Anders Behring Breivik launched a lone wolf terrorist attack by killing more than 70 people and injuring more than 300 people in Oslo, Norway. He has written a manifesto titled 2083: A European Declaration of Independence which detailed out his reasons and intentions on right wing extremism.
Where else in 2016, a member of British Parliament was murdered by a far right extremist. A year after that incident, a man indoctrinated by right wing ideologies used a vehicle and targeted a crowd leaving a mosque in North London where one person was killed and nine others were injured. The perpetrator was later identified as Darren Osborne. He was self-radicalised using online right wing teachings.
Last February, Tobias Rathjen, a right wing extremist, killed nine people. Later he killed himself and his mother in Hanau, Germany. All of his victims are of immigrant background. He had written a manifesto voiced a hatred for migrants and also for Germans who allowed immigrants into their country.
In 1995, a right wing extremist, Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City where 168 people were killed and injured more than 680 people. This April, the USA intelligence agency had arrested John Michael Rathbun, after he allegedly placed an IED outside the entrance of a Jewish residence in Massachusetts.
Last May, Steven Carrillo, a supporter of the Boogaloo movement killed a security officer and injured another officer in California. Two months ago, three men who members to the Boogaloo movement were arrested in Las Vegas, on charges related to terrorism and also involving plots to instigate violence at protests. This group is an emerging far right extremist group in the USA. It’s also a multifaceted organisation.
Lone wolves
These terrorists are known as lone wolves. They are considered to be a low risk terrorist/supporter/ sympathiser, and they have no clear link with any terrorist group. In addition, they use substandard and easily available weapons in their attacks for determined casualty. Like in most cases in Reading, Streatham and London bridge attacks, they are considered the less significant terrorist but their attacks can be lethal.
Unfortunately, there is no definite interpretation of the meaning of a lone wolf terrorist which is widely accepted.
According to Joel Capellan there are two types of lone wolf terrorists.
The most conspicuous type is the isolated lone wolves who are either not associated with any particular terrorist groups nor received any assistance from them. Usually, they self radicalized themselves with their own plan to execute their attack.
The other type is the connected lone wolves. Even though these terrorists acted alone, they are under the direction of a leader from any terrorist organisations. This leader will instruct these lone wolves by providing all the necessary assistance and support from the beginning of the ends of any terrorist attack.
Furthermore, Raffaello Pantucci has created the typology category of a lone wolf terrorist.
Firstly, the loner who is always acting alone and has no connection with any terrorist group. Secondly, the lone wolf who has acted alone with some degree of influence of a terrorist organisation. Thirdly, the lone wolf pack who is self-radicalized with a group of people. Finally, the lone attacker who has acted alone with the direct influence and support of a terrorist organisation.
This phenomenon is unprecedented. For the intelligence and security forces to track down a member of the sleeper cells or a lone wolf is an apprehensive task. The focal features of lone wolves are they manoeuvre independently; they act without any direct guidance; their attacks are premeditated and prudently intended; they are emotionally distressed; they demonstrate poor interpersonal and social skills.
According to Bruce Hoffman who is a senior fellow at the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center stated that the lone wolf terrorist dimension is not new. Further, he said the lone wolf attacks are less violent compare to other forms of terrorism. He also pointed out that the increasing number of lone wolf threats may engulf and divert intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The Present Danger
The Covid-19 pandemic may create a platform for a lone wolf terrorist to launch an attack in any part of the world. This crisis has increased the unemployment rate and the lower income people finding hardship to feed their families. Furthermore, most of the people now restricted themselves at home with a good speed of internet connection. These circumstances may be used by the terrorist group to recruit lone wolves. These recruits can be indoctrinated with the group’s false ideology and encourage them to launch terrorist attacks in any part of the world. Further, there is a possibility for the said group to use this virus to accomplish their goals.
Even though this can be considered to be a hypothetical situation but it is not too remote to set aside. Terrorists or terrorist groups never acknowledge and follow the rule of law. They are ruthless people. Their only aim to achieve targets and to uphold their ideology. Anything else will be irrelevant for them.
The face of terrorism is always evolving. The method and mode of a terrorist is volatile. They always find a little opportunity to launch their fatal attacks like in Nice, Paris, Brussels, and London. The intelligence and security forces should not have undermined the ability of these terrorist groups.
The tactics of these groups are shifting to use of non-conventional weapons like household knives and vehicles. Further, they are also using fake suicide vests to deceive the security forces and the public to ‘protect’ themselves.
Conclusion
Lone wolves are hard to detect. Generally, they are part of the society like an ordinary folk. Some of them are members of a sleeper cell. They are low profile and not expose themselves to the intelligence or security agencies.
Therefore, it is very challenging for these agencies to prevent any attacks launched by lone wolves. The public, especially family members or friends must play a proactive role by informing these agencies if one of their family members or friends behaves strangely.
The interest of the nation should supersede the interest of an individual. Hence, the cooperation and collaboration between government and public is so imperative to prevent any kind terrorist incidents in the future.
05.08.2020
Kuala Lumpur.
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