NCJ Number
234713
Date Published
June 2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This audio and its transcript cover three presentations from the panel on "Terrorism Studies: Finding and Applying the Best Research," which was part of the 2009 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Conference.
Abstract
Michael Kenney - assistant professor of political science and fellow at Pennsylvania State University's Center for the Study of Terrorism - discusses the results of his research on ways in which terrorists organize and learn from experience how to improve their operations. His field research was conducted in a territory on the Iberian Peninsula claimed by both Morocco and Spain. It has also been identified by jihadists as enemy territory they want to capture for the re-establishment of the Caliphate. The focus of the research was on Principe Alionso, where 12,000 to 15,000 people live, most of whom are Muslins. It is generally portrayed as the source of grassroots jihadi networks. Kenney discusses his impressions from interviews with a number of people in this community about how they perceive the level and organization of radical jihadism activity. The second presenter, Laura Dugan - an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland - discusses quantitative issues in developing better databases that capture the incidence and features of terrorism that lead to the development and testing of theories related to aspects of terrorism. This leads to an understanding of various types of terrorism based on relevant data. The third presenter, Richard Troy - who is associated with the Office of Ireland's Prime Minister and has been involved in the work of the European Commission's Directorate General for Justice, Freedom, and Security - discusses how policymakers draw from terrorism research in the European Commission's development of strategies for countering terrorism.
Date Published: June 1, 2009