The shocking link between America's prisons and terrorism

On January 26, 1993, a young Palestinian man named Abdel Nasser Zaben was arrested and incarcerated in New York City for kidnapping and robbery. Just thirty days later, while he remained locked up, radical Islamic fundamentalists detonated a bomb in the World Trade Center. These two events, connected by common threads, signaled the coming of jihad to America. From the seemingly insulated environment of prison, this same young man, thought to have been merely a common criminal, swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden and began to convert other young minds to the cause. A dangerous terrorist recruitment "cell” had been born. How did it happen? Through the story of Abdel Nasser Zaben’s recruitment efforts in prison,The Fertile Soil of Jihad explores in vivid detail how the American prison subculture fosters terrorism. Dunleavy shows how Zaben carefully and knowingly selected the most likely candidates for conversion to his cause. He reveals how Zaben used his apprentice role in the prison chaplain’s office as a cover for his work and how prison resources were used in the service of terrorism. This book yields invaluable insights for intelligence and corrections professionals as well as informed citizens eager to learn what progress the U.S. government is making in countering terrorism.

America is fighting a major international war, says the author. Yet, the country does not really know it. Moreover, the war is being waged on a multitude of distinct fronts—both internal and external. The United States is wholly unprepared to fight a unified battle. Threat analyst Kenneth Abramowitz carefully takes us through the first step—recognition. He then ushers readers into the bold realm of mounting a multifaceted defense that will save America as a Democracy with the capacity to continually improve and thrive. Third edition.

Since the early 1960s, incarcerated Muslims have used legal action to establish their rights to religious freedom behind bars and improve the conditions of their incarceration. Inspired by Islamic principles of justice and equality, these efforts have played a critical role in safeguarding the civil rights not only of imprisoned Muslims but of all those confined to carceral settings. In this sweeping book­­—the first to examine this history in depth—SpearIt writes a missing chapter in the history of Islam in America while illuminating new perspectives on the role of religious expression and experience in the courtroom.

Since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Pakistan has faced the threat of terrorism in different forms and shapes. Yet in recent years the threat has taken on a new dimension. After 9/11 the US campaign against Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan led to a surge in unrest and violence in Pakistan. Al-Qaeda gained a foothold in tribal regions of Pakistan via their local supporters, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), currently led by Mullah Fazlullah, who unleashed a new wave of terror across Pakistan. Since then, more than 60,000 Pakistanis have been killed as the result of TTP-orchestrated insurgency and terrorist attacks and Pakistan's society, economy and its international image have suffered at the hands of TTP and its affiliated groups. As a result of several military operations many TTP leaders have taken refuge in Afghanistan where they have joined hands with the terrorist group ISIS, the so-called Islamic State, or Daesh by its local name. Pakistan's nascent democratic set-up, in the form of the government of Nawaz Sharif, is struggling to curb this menace. This is the first book to cover all aspects of terrorism in Pakistan and to reveal the composition, ideology, approaches and strengths of TTP and its affiliates. It is essential reading for policy-makers, strategists, security experts and students to understand the intricate contours and dimensions of insurgency and terrorism within Pakistan.

Introduces readers to the world of homeland security and provides them with up-to-date information on recent attacks, new terrorist threats, visible terrorist organizations, current dilemmas, updated research, and best practices This book provides comprehensive coverage of issues relating to terrorism, terrorist behavior, homeland security policies, and emergency management. It offers a foundation that spans the readily apparent chasm between the homeland security and disaster communities, and covers the stages of emergency management with a focus on terrorism prevention and response. Based on both the academic literature and practical understanding, the book includes research findings, covering theory and principles as well as their application. Introduction to Homeland Security: Understanding Terrorism Prevention and Emergency Management, Second Edition teaches how to define homeland security, understand how it changed after 9/11, and explore its relationship with emergency management; recognize the causes of terrorism and what prompts people to engage in terrorist attacks; assess the trade-offs between security and rights, and understand how terrorism exploits the tension between these two priorities; work to prevent terrorist attacks through intelligence gathering, by promoting laws that prohibit terrorism, and by protecting borders and various sectors of society; prepare for a terrorist attack by creating an advisory council, passing ordinances, acquiring monetary resources, and establishing an EOC; effectively respond to a terrorist attack through the many functions involved, including the protection of first responders and the decontamination of the victims; recover from a terrorist attack through both short-term and long-term measures; anticipate the current challenges faced in homeland security; and comprehend the various types of attacks that might take place in the future. The second edition: Covers the four traditional phases of emergency response, with a focus on terrorism prevention and infrastructure protection Includes new content such as recent domestic and international terrorist attacks including the attacks in Paris and Boston Has a strong "practitioner" approach and draws upon a solid foundation of academic literature in the field Discusses the roles and responsibilities of government agencies, non-government organizations, and individual citizens Introduction to Homeland Security is an excellent book for all scholars, students, and practitioners interested or involved in homeland security and emergency management.

This volume provides an overview of intervention and management strategies for dealing with terrorist and extremist offenders in prisons. The management of terrorist and extremist prisoners has long been recognised as a difficult problem in prisons. In most countries, such offenders are relatively rare, but when their numbers increase these prisoners can undermine the effectiveness and safety of the prison system. At a global level there is an increasing recognition of the problem of militant jihadi extremists in prison and their ability to recruit new members among other prisoners. The numbers of such prisoners are low but growing and, as a result, prisons are becoming centres of radicalisation; indeed, in some cases, terrorist plots appear to have been based entirely on networks that were radicalised in prison. This volume presents an expertly informed assessment of what we know about terrorists, extremists and prison, exploring the experience of a wide range of countries and of different political movements. Drawing critical lessons from historical case studies, the book examines critical issues around management strategies, radicalisation and deradicalisation, reform, risk assessment, as well as post-release experiences. The role that prisoners play in the conflicts beyond the jail walls is also examined, with case studies illustrating how prisoners can play a critical role in bringing about a peace process or alternatively in sustaining or even escalating campaigns of violence. Written by leading experts in the field, this volume will be of much interest to students of terrorism/counter-terrorism, criminology, security studies and IR in general.