For this week’s Forum, respond to the following: This week, we investigate the recruitment methods used by terrorist organizations to attract members to carry out their goals. The methods used have been compared to those used by traditional organizations, enacting organizational and managerial processes familiar to most.
· After reviewing the course materials for the week, discuss the aspects of recruitment and membership in terrorist organizations as they compare to that of the traditional organization.
Reply to the following response with 200 words minimum. (please make response as if having a conversation, respond directly to some of the statements in below post. This is not providing an analysis of the original post. Respectfully address it and even ask clarifying or additional questions.)
1.
When looking at a terrorist organization is like looking at any other organizations and the key is bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is a key factor in most larger and most effective terrorist groups. Through the layers of managements they often show control over large numbers of people through either force, coercion and/or charisma. Just like in all other organizations, a terrorist group also have internal disagreements over finances, power struggles, and problems maintaining discipline among the rank and file. Financial support is something that a terrorist organization much have therefor they have to use money outside of the formal banking and financial systems called Hawala. Hawala is popular because its something relies on honor and promises of repayment more than the actual physical transfer of money. This is illegal in many countries.
I think that in todays world it is so easy to get into contact with the lone wolf especially when they have access to todays technology. These types of people still want a feel a since of belonging and often want to make a change in the world. They can often be encouraged into taking their own life because they often want to make a change for the greater of the organization.
2.
Class,
I think that recruitment for terrorism and traditional recruitment is sort of the same thing. I think that you will always have the leaders that have a motive. With their motive, they will try to convince people of why their reasoning and their cause of their fight is valid and why they should join them. Along the way, they will make their day one supporters and followers that will become their main support system. After a while, they will not have to do much for the work because their main henchmen will be the voice, the front men. The day one supporter will go out and recruit more people and this is how they will grow. The leader will become the face of the movement and will be at what they think are the big and more important events. I think that the lone wolf often has their own motivations for doing something. They do not need much motivation when it is time for the lone wolf to act.
United States Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary. (2003). Narco-terrorism: International drug trafficking and terrorism, a dangerous mix: Hearing before the committee on the judiciary, United States senate, one hundred eighth congress, first session. Washington, DC: United States Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
Chugani, S. H. (2009). Benevolent blood money: Terrorist exploitation of zakat and its complications in the war on terror. North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, 34(2), 601.
3.
I will begin this week’s forum by stating that I did not know a lot of the recruitment process. As I was reading the article written by Hunter et al. (2017), I was impressed. The recruitment process can be compared in some aspects with any traditional job. I used to believe that terrorist organizations would hire anyone that wanted to kill Westerners, but I was wrong. Most terrorist organizations want intellectuals, loyal, and sane followers to be part of them (Hunter et al., 2017). In fact, some of them have job applications. This was the process for al-Qaida members; they had to fill-out their personal information, their skills, family members, religious preference, and health status (Hunter et al., 2017). Like al-Qaida most terrorist organizations have developed a process and filed their job applications while maintain a human resource person to keep them. In addition, they have recruiters. This can be compared to most job recruiters and how they bring personnel to the organization. Most of their recruiters are what keep the organization going; these recruiters are charismatic and are able to bring qualified members to their group (Hunter et al., 2017). However, the specific qualifications that a recruit must have, makes it also difficult for those that want join a terrorist organizations. Therefore, for those individuals who do not get selected decide to act on their own. Many of the individuals that do not get selected is because they visibly suffer a mental disorder and terrorist organizations want emotional stable people (Seifert, 2015). Once these individuals do not get selected, they may decide to act on their own to prove to the organization their worth, or they could act in anger, or act alone to support the cause of the organization (Seifert, 2015). It was interesting to see how terrorist organizations can discriminate against people that want to actually help them.
References:
Hunter, S. T., Shortland, N. D., Crayne, M. P., & Ligon, G. S. (2017). Recruitment and selection in violent extremist organizations: Exploring what industrial and organizational psychology might contribute. American Psychologist, 72(3), 242-254. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.apus.edu/10.1037/amp0000089
Seifert, K. (2015). Psychology Today: Lone Wolf terrorist and mental illness. Retrieved on 31 January 2018 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stop-the-cycle/201501/lone-wolf-terrorists-and-mental-illness
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