Domestic Extremism: Far-left, Far-right, and Militant Jihadi Trends 2023

Course Description

Trevor Bickford, 19, a teenager from Maine is currently facing federal crimes charges for attacking NYPD officials in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Preliminary investigations revealed Bickford became radicalized as recently as a month prior to the attack. He did not appear to be affiliated with any movement or terrorist group. He espoused militant jihadi viewpoints and the desire to join the Taliban in Afghanistan. The cases of Fareed Mumuni, Awaid Choudhary, Dzenan Camovic, and Xavier Pelkey in recent years also serve to demonstrate the pattern of stalking and attacking law enforcement among those espousing jihadi aspirations. Vulnerable cohorts also include individuals who do not hold any ideology, or hold multiple ideologies (e.g., racially or politically motivated, far-right & militant jihadi)—often referred to as individuals with “complex needs and motivations”—and are driven by mere obsessions and impulses of violence. Through a mix of locally relevant and applicable case study scenarios, the purpose of this course is to offer a discussion on the emerging trends in violent extremism and terrorism in the United States and the New England/East Coast region more specifically: motivations for joining or acting on behest of terrorist organizations, the extent to which the frustration over inability to travel to conflict zones may strengthen an individual’s extremist inclinations, and the extent to which terrorist group expansions worldwide may contribute to the perception among some of the reemergence and revitalization of militant jihadi agenda and prowess worldwide, included in the United States.

Terrorist and extremist groups across far-left, far-right, and militant jihadi groups continue to share officially labeled or officially branded propaganda material. Websites and social media platforms operated by such groups remain widespread and unbridled, despite take-down efforts by governments and social media companies. The same holds true for such groups operating and targeting the vulnerable in the United States. As such groups continue to learn with increasing frequency how to strengthen their digital operational security and evade authorities, the training will also incorporate means of discerning and confronting extremist and terrorist activities on-offline through OSINT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques and analyses. Knowledge will also be gained as to how to scan and monitor mainstream and alternative, encrypted social media platforms such as Telegram (with 200M+ users worldwide and a preferred medium of communication for militant jihadi groups like ISIS and al Qaeda in particular) for real-time threat assessments and analyses.”

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Cost: $100.00 per person

Where: 140 Terry Dr Ste 100, 18940 Newtown, PA.

When: April 28, 2023

Check-in: 08:30AM – 9:00AM; Class Hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM

Purchase Orders and/or Checks: Please contact ACTRI directly at [email protected]

Inquiries can be Directed to:

Alison McDowell-Smith; ACTRI Deputy Director; Phone 860.944.9127; Email: [email protected]

Note: This is an in-person, day-long, law enforcement, intel analyst, emergency manager, public safety & CT/PCVE professionals only training events. Official work email needed to register and attend.

Instructors:

Allison McDowell-Smith, Ph.D. is the Deputy Director and co-founder of the American Counterterrorism Targeting and Resilience Institute (ACTRI), a cross-disciplinary research organization focused on the broad spectrum of transnational extreme-right, extreme left, and militant jihadi political violence. She is also the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Program Chair of the Graduate Counterterrorism & Criminal Justice Programs, and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Nichols College. She launched the Nichols College Master of Science in Counterterrorism (MSC) Program, the first graduate program in the United States with a focus on Violent Extremism (VE) and leadership for those pursuing careers in the fields of security, intelligence, and public policy.

Allison has spearheaded pioneering innovative approaches to shape understanding of violent extremism and terrorism globally while pursuing data-driven policy security solutions and tackling unique proficiencies needed to understand the field of the study at both private and public sector levels. As an interdisciplinary researcher and educator, she strives to identify and advance criminological approaches that may be relevant to violent extremist and terrorist thought and violence, offering unique perspectives on the often-overlooked relationship between the two. Beyond her teaching experience in the fields of violent extremism and terrorism and program management skills, she has a significant record of collaborating and liaising with law enforcement, military, and intelligence components on security related trends and events, focusing on a wide range of issues, from violent extremist and terrorist motivation to technology and cyber security threats. Prior to her academic life, she has worked in non-profit sector as a Senior Research Fellow for the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE), where she conducted research on ISIS recruitment strategies, de-radicalization processes, and counter messaging. She obtained a Ph.D. from Northcentral University focused on Homeland Security, Leadership, and Policy; M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Northcentral University; and B.S. in Criminal Justice from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Ardian Shajkovci, Ph.D. is a counter-terrorism researcher, lecturer, and security analyst. He has conducted field research on terrorism and violent extremism in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Western Europe, the Balkans, Kenya, Somalia, and Central Asia. He is the Director and co-founder of the American Counterterrorism Targeting and Resilience Institute (ACTRI), a cross-disciplinary research organization focused on the broad spectrum of transnational extreme-right, extreme left, and militant jihadi political violence. Ardian and his team engage in functional, practical research, drawing primarily from primary sources. The center is focused on generating robust and predictive models of human behavior to address and educate on emerging security threats emanating from all forms of political violence. Ardian and his team also track disinformation and propaganda online through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tools designed to alert and educate analysts of disinformation platforms and sources and source analysis.

Ardian serves as a visiting lecturer and adjunct faculty, including at Nichols College, where he is teaching CT and P/CVE courses in the MSC Counterterrorism Program. Past positions include Research Director and Senior Research Fellow at the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) and other positions and consultancies domestic and international organizations. Ardian obtained his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, with a focus on Homeland Security Policy, from Walden University. He obtained his M.A. in Public Policy and Administration, from Northwestern University, and a B.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy from Dominican University. Ardian has authored or co-authored 200+ publications and presentations on the topic of radicalization and terrorism. He has written for, and his work has been quoted by, The New York Times, The Hill, Homeland Security Today, New York Post, Euronews, The Daily Beast, Le Figaro, Washington Examiner, AFP, Daily Caller, Fox News, and others.

Featured Speaker(s): TBA

Event Venue

MAGLOCLEN, 140 Terry Drive, Newtown, United States