A Department of Homeland Security Emeritus Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland

Terrorist Networks


Terrorist Networks

Project Titlesort ascending Investigators Project Period
Where the Extremes May Touch: The Potential for Collaboration Between Islamist, Right- and Left-Wing Extremists Gary Ackerman, Jeffrey Bale July, 2005 to September, 2009
Updates to the Leadership of the Extreme and Dangerous for Innovative Results (LEADIR) Dataset Gina Scott Ligon January, 2019 to December, 2019
Updates to the Big, Allied, and Dangerous (BAAD) Dataset Victor Asal January, 2019 to December, 2019
U.S. Crime-Terror Nexus: Terrorist Networks & Trade Diversion Joshua Freilich, Steven Chermak, Roberta Belli July, 2012 to December, 2013
Two to Tango: Government and Terrorist Group Actions in Colombia Barnett S. Koven March, 2018 to June, 2018
The Mobilization Puzzle: How Individual, Group, and Situational Dynamics Produce Extremist Outcomes Gary LaFree, Michael Jensen January, 2020 to December, 2022
The Ecology of Terrorist Organizations Jonathan Wilkenfeld, Victor Asal, Gary LaFree October, 2008 to December, 2012
Social Network Analysis for Combating Terrorist Networks Alan Neustadtl, R. Karl Rethemeyer, Victor Asal June, 2006 to June, 2009
Resources and Resilience: A Computational Model of Strategic Influence January, 2018 to June, 2018
Radicalization Clusters? Geographic Concentrations of Violent Extremism and Terrorism in the United States Kathleen Smarick October, 2010 to December, 2011
Militant Islamist Networks in the West Jeffrey Bale July, 2005 to April, 2008
Martyrs without Borders: Iraq's Foreign Fighters and the Third Generation of Global Jihad Mohammed Hafez June, 2008 to May, 2011
Mapping and Evaluating Online Salafi-Jihadism Arie Kruglanski, Jarret Brachman, Michele Gelfand July, 2012 to December, 2014
ISIL: Branding, Leadership Culture and Lethal Attraction Gina Scott Ligon November, 2014
Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Acceleration Erin Miller January, 2019 to January, 2020
Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Erin Miller, Gary LaFree, Laura Dugan June, 2001 to January, 2020
Framing Global Salafi-Jihadist Messages in the West Peter Neumann July, 2012 to December, 2015
Failure Points in Smuggling Networks Brandon Behlendorf September, 2013 to March, 2015
Expand the Transnational Illicit Trafficking (TransIT) Database Marcus A. Boyd January, 2019 to December, 2019
Divergent Dimensions of Radicalization Risk: Migration and Violent Extremism in Sabah Barnett S. Koven September, 2019 to March, 2021
Developing Integrated Radiological and Nuclear Detection Architecture for the Interior and International Mission Space Steve Sin, Marcus A. Boyd September, 2016 to September, 2019
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SIGMA+ Thomas Guarrieri, Marcus A. Boyd, Steve Sin July, 2018 to April, 2020
Country Reports on Terrorism - Statistical Annex Gary LaFree, Erin Miller May, 2012 to May, 2018
Counterterrorism Net Assessment Data Structure (CT NEADS) Barnett S. Koven January, 2019 to January, 2020
Bargaining on and off the Battlefield: The Bargaining Model of War and Negotiations with the Afghan Taliban Barnett S. Koven February, 2019 to August, 2019
Anti-Terrorism Assistance Programs William Braniff June, 2016 to May, 2017
A Multi-Level Approach to the Study of Violent Extremism Gary LaFree, Michael Jensen January, 2018 to December, 2020
Project Titlesort ascending Publication Date START Authors Publication Type
’Unholy Alliances’: How Transnational Terrorists and Crime Make Common Cause November 2010 Mincheva, Lyubov; Gurr, Ted Robert Book Chapter
Women Too: Explaining Gender Ideologies of Ethnopolitical Organizations May 2020 Asal, Victor Journal Article
Women in the White Supremacist Movement July 2017 Yates, Elizabeth Book Chapter
With Friends Like These…Why Terrorist Organizations Ally January 2016 Ackerman, Gary; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Journal Article
Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances May 2018 Bacon, Tricia Book
Western Muslims Volunteering to fight in Syria and Iraq: Why do they go, and what should we do? July 2015 McCauley, Clark; Moskalenko, Sophia Journal Article
Unholy Alliances: Evidence on Linkages between Trans-State Terrorism and Crime Networks: The Case of Bosnia June 2010 Mincheva, Lyubov; Gurr, Ted Robert Book Chapter
Understanding Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism November 2017 Singh, Rashmi Book
Understanding Recruitment to Organized Crime and Terrorism June 2020 Weisburd, David Book
Towards Global Jihadism: Al-Qaeda's Strategic, Ideological and Structural Adaptations since 9/11 June 2012 Moghadam, Assaf; Braniff, William Journal Article
The Strategy of Terrorism: The Framework and Its Fallacies January 2007 Neumann, Peter Journal Article
The Strategy of Terrorism: How it Works, and Why it Fails (Contemporary Terrorism Studies) September 2008 Neumann, Peter Book
The Social Psychological Makings of a Terrorist February 2018 Kruglanski, Arie Journal Article
The Rise and Endurance of Radical Right Movements September 2019 Caiani, Manuela Journal Article
The Organization of Terrorism November 2006 Crenshaw, Martha Book Chapter
The Nexus between Terrorism and U.S. Product Counterfeiting July 2014 Sullivan, Brandon; Freilich, Joshua; Chermak, Steven Report
The Nature of the Beast: Terrorist: The Organizational and Network Characteristics of Organizational Lethality January 2008 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Journal Article
Terrorist Group Survival as a Measure of Effectiveness June 2018 Phillips, Brian Book Chapter
Terrorist Group Rivalries and Alliances: Testing Competing Explanations August 2019 Phillips, Brian Journal Article
Terrorist Group Cooperation and Longevity June 2014 Phillips, Brian Journal Article
Terrorism, Radicalization and De-radicalization June 2016 Kruglanski, Arie Journal Article
Terrorism as Transnational Advocacy: An Organizational and Tactical Examination January 2006 Asal, Victor Journal Article
Terrorism and the North Caucasus: An Overview April 2013 Johns, Mila Background Report
Spotting the Threat July 2014 Neumann, Peter Journal Article
Social Network Analysis of German Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq February 2017 Hafez, Mohammed Journal Article
Researching Terrorist Networks April 2006 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Journal Article
Recruitment and Selection in Violent Extremist Organizations: Exploring What Industrial and Organizational Psychology Might Contribute April 2017 Ligon, Gina Scott Journal Article
Rebel Group Attrition and Reversion to Violence: Micro-Level Evidence from Syria January 2020 Mironova, Vera Journal Article
Psychology Not Theology: Overcoming ISIS' Secret Appeal October 2014 Kruglanski, Arie Op-ed
Probabilistic Pathway Projection to Counter Foreign Fighters April 2016 House, Joshua; Boyd, Marcus A. Research Brief
Political Fragmentation and Alliances among Armed Non-state Actors in North and Western Africa (1997–2014) September 2017 Leuprecht, Christian Journal Article
Only the Bad Die Young: The Correlates of Organizational Death for Far-Right Extremist Groups December 2015 Freilich, Joshua; Chermak, Steven Journal Article
One God for All: Fundamentalist Religious Groups and Terrorism February 2010 Birnir, Johanna; Satana, Nil Conference Paper
On Classifying Terrorism: A Potential Contribution of Cluster Analysis for Academics and Policymakers December 2007 Chenoweth, Erica Journal Article
NGO Interventions: Influences on Terrorist Activity August 2016 Hodwitz, Omi Journal Article
Nexus of Global Jihad: Understanding Cooperation Among Terrorist Actors May 2017 Moghadam, Assaf Book
Networks, Power, and the Effects of Legitimacy in Contentious Politics January 2020 Milward, H. Brinton Journal Article
Networks of Cooperation: Rebel Alliances in Fragmented Civil Wars February 2019 Hafez, Mohammed Journal Article
Networks as strategic repertoires: Functional differentiation among Al-Shabaab terror cells May 2013 Leuprecht, Christian Journal Article
Momin Khawaja: Mechanisms of Radicalization August 2016 McCauley, Clark; Moskalenko, Sophia START Reports
Mobilizing on the Extreme Right: Germany, Italy, and the United States January 2012 della Porta, Donatella; Caiani, Manuela Book
Marriage of Convenience: The Evolution of Iran and al-Qa'ida's Tactical Cooperation April 2017 Moghadam, Assaf Journal Article
Mapping Today's Jihadi Landscape and Threat May 2018 Moghadam, Assaf Journal Article
Mapping and Deterring Violent Extremist Networks in North-West Africa April 2015 Leuprecht, Christian Journal Article
Loners, Colleagues, or Peers? Assessing the Social Organization of Radicalization April 2018 Freilich, Joshua; Chermak, Steven Journal Article
Locating Al Qaeda's Center of Gravity: The Role of Middle Managers October 2011 Neumann, Peter Journal Article
Lethal Connections: The Determinants of Network Connections in the Provisional Irish Republican Army, 1970–1998 January 2014 Horgan, John; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Journal Article
Lethal Combinations: Studying the Structure of Terrorist Networks September 2017 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Book Chapter
Islamist Terrorism, Diaspora Links and Casualty Rates October 2019 LaFree, Gary; Piazza, James A. Journal Article
ISIS: Its History, Ideology, and Psychology April 2018 Kruglanski, Arie Book Chapter
ISIL: Branding, Leadership Culture and Lethal Attraction November 2014 Ligon, Gina Scott; Simi, Peter START Reports
Is the Enemy of My Enemy My Friend? How Terrorist Groups Select Partners January 2018 Bacon, Tricia Journal Article
Is Islamist Terrorism More Dangerous?: An Empirical Study of Group Ideology, Organization and Goal Structure January 2009 Piazza, James A. Journal Article
Insurgencies as Networks of Event Orderings June 2018 Breiger, Ronald Journal Article
Impact of Perceived Peer Attitudes and Social Network Diversity on Violent Extremist Intentions September 2020 Lemieux, Anthony Journal Article
Hurdles to International Terrorist Alliances: Lessons from Al Qaeda's Experience February 2015 Bacon, Tricia Journal Article
How “Alone” are Lone-Actors? Exploring the Ideological, Signaling, and Support Networks of Lone-Actor Terrorists October 2018 Hofmann, David Journal Article
Hizballah as a Social Movement Organization: A Framing Approach November 2009 Karagiannis, Emmanuel Journal Article
Headhunting Among Extremist Organizations: An Empirical Assessment of Talent Spotting April 2018 Ligon, Gina Scott Journal Article
Gangs, Terrorism, and Radicalization October 2011 Pyrooz, David C.; Decker, Scott H. Journal Article
Fratricide in Rebel Movements: A Network Analysis of Syrian Militant Infighting January 2019 Hafez, Mohammed Journal Article
Fratricidal Rebels: Ideological Extremity and Warring Factionalism in Civil Wars April 2020 Hafez, Mohammed Journal Article
Exploring the Crime-Terror Nexus in the United States: A Social Network Analysis of a Hezbollah Network Involved in Trade Diversion October 2015 Freilich, Joshua; Belli, Roberta; Chermak, Steven Journal Article
Enemies with Benefits? Violent Rivalry and Terrorist Group Longevity January 2015 Phillips, Brian Journal Article
Doing Good while Killing: Why Some Insurgent Groups Provide Community Services May 2020 Flanigan, Shawn; Asal, Victor Journal Article
Do Machines Replicate Humans? Toward a Unified Understanding of Radicalizing Content on the Open Social Web September 2019 Ligon, Gina Scott Journal Article
Do 90 Percent of Terrorist Groups Last Less Than a Year? Updating the Conventional Wisdom September 2017 Phillips, Brian Journal Article
Divergent Dimensions of Radicalization Risk: Migration and Violent Extremism in Sabah, Malaysia December 2020 Henkin, Samuel D. START Reports
Discussion Point: The Prospective Military Power of Al Qaeda Affiliated Groups in the Syrian Conflict December 2013 Discussion Point
Cut from the Same Cloth? A Comparative Study of Domestic Extremists and Gang Members in the United States May 2017 Pyrooz, David C.; LaFree, Gary; James, Patrick; Decker, Scott H. Journal Article
Cumulative Disruptions: Interdependency and Commitment Escalation as Mechanisms of Illicit Network Failure September 2020 Behlendorf, Brandon Journal Article
Cultivating Trust and Perceptions of Source Credibility in Online Counternarratives Intended to Reduce Support for Terrorism April 2018 Braddock, Kurt Journal Article
Cross-Milieu Terrorist Collaboration: Using Game Theory to Assess the Risk of a Novel Threat April 2016 Ackerman, Gary; Zhuang, Jun Journal Article
Crime-Terror Alliances and the State: Ethnonationalist and Islamist Challenges to Regional Security January 2013 Mincheva, Lyubov Book
Counterterrorism Net Assessment Data Structure April 2020 Koven, Barnett S.; Lindquist, Katy; Erdemandi, Max Project Fact Sheet
Contextualizing Disengagement: How Exit Barriers Shape the Pathways Out of Far-Right Extremism in the United States May 2020 Yates, Elizabeth; Jensen, Michael; James, Patrick Journal Article
Comparative configurational analysis as a two-mode network problem: A study of terrorist group engagement in the drug trade May 2013 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Breiger, Ronald Journal Article
Cigarette smuggling and terrorism financing November 2013 Freilich, Joshua; Chermak, Steven Book Chapter
Changing Organizational Structures of Jihadist Networks in the Netherlands October 2016 Freilich, Joshua; Chermak, Steven Journal Article
Catch Them Coming and Going: Probabilistic Pathway Projection to Counter Foreign Fighters March 2016 Woods, Brady; House, Joshua; Boyd, Marcus A. START Reports
Building Terrorism from Social Ties: The Dark Side of Social Capital February 2015 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Journal Article
Boko Haram: An Assessment of Strengths, Vulnerabilities, and Policy Options January 2015 Pate, Amy START Reports
Big, Allied And Dangerous (BAAD) Fact Sheet October 2015 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Project Fact Sheet
Big Allied and Dangerous (BAAD) September 2013 Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor Project Fact Sheet
Assessing the Terrorist Threat: Impact of the Group's Organizational Design? October 2015 Journal Article
Applying Social Network Analysis to Terrorist Financing May 2018 Leuprecht, Christian Book Chapter
Anneli Botha, Terrorism in the Maghreb: The Transnationalisation of Domestic Terrorism (Pretoria/Tshwane: Institute for Security Studies) January 2010 Book Review
An Analysis of Violent Nonstate Actor Organizational Lethality and Network Co-Evoluation in the Middle East and North Africa February 2016 Young, Joseph; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor START Reports
Alliance Hubs: Focal Points in the International Terrorist Landscape May 2014 Bacon, Tricia Journal Article
Al-Qaida and Al-Shabaab: A Resilient Alliance January 2019 Bacon, Tricia Book Chapter
Al Qaeda's Post-9/11 Evolution: An Assessment November 2011 Moghadam, Assaf; Braniff, William Book Chapter
Al Qaeda and the Islamic State's Break: Strategic Strife or Lackluster Leadership? October 2017 Bacon, Tricia Journal Article
Actions Speak Louder than Words: A Behavioral Analysis of 183 Individuals Convicted for Terrorist Offenses in the United States from 1995 to 2012 September 2016 Horgan, John Journal Article
A Tale of Two Caliphates: Al-Qaida and its Associated Movement vs. the Islamic State and its Associated Movement September 2015 Braniff, William Presentation
A Preliminary Typology Mapping Pathways of Learning and Innovation by Modern Jihadist Groups September 2016 Singh, Rashmi Journal Article
"I'm down for a Jihad": How 100 Years of Gang Research can Inform the Study of Terrorism, Radicalization and Extremism February 2015 Pyrooz, David C.; Decker, Scott H. Journal Article
Exploring the U.S. Crime-Terror Nexus: Terrorist Networks and Trade Diversion October 2014 Freilich, Joshua; Belli, Roberta; Chermak, Steven Research Brief
Title Byline
‘The Three Pillars’ book tour offers insight to international governments Emily Hilliard
Top-ranked criminology journal features START research Jessica Rivinius
The Formation of Unholy Alliances: How violence threatens international security Claire Simon
Terrorism Studies Minor information sessions
Terrorism studies graduate certificate application deadline is quickly approaching Kelly Kline
Summer courses for credit through START
START welcomes visiting scholar Claire Simon
START Symposium showcases impactful research, datasets Mary Beck, Jessica Rivinius
START seeking 2014 Outstanding Article Award nominations Jessica Rivinius
START Response to Death of bin Laden
START Researchers Present at American Political Science Association Annual Conference
START Researchers Featured in Journal of Homeland Security
START researchers awarded top honors for applying marketing framework to violent groups Jessica Rivinius
START research informs Senate report on Chesser
START Research Brief: Al-Shabaab's use of Twitter
START Releases New Data Collections
START Newsletter: US beliefs before, after Boston bombings; Terrorist targeting of civilians; Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
START launches new tool for counterterrorism community
START Investigators Participate in 2011 American Sociological Association Annual Conference
START investigator and former TRA recipient publish book on the mobilization of right-wing extremism Samantha Goldman
START Assesses Impact of 9/11
START Announces Fellowships for 2005-06
START Announces 2011-2012 Terrorism Research Award Participants
START Announces 2009 Curriculum Development Grant Recipients
Secretary Ridge announces creation of terrorism center
Research Roundtable details the patterns of terrorism worldwide Emily Bonta
Research Roundtable features expert on policing terrorism Samantha Goldman
Remittances and the financing of terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa Catherine Llamido
Rassler delves into the intricacies of the Haqqani Nexus Charlotte Taylor
Press Release: START Panel Addresses Key Questions in Terrorism
New study shows alliances and not religious ideology are key to forecasting CBRN pursuit
New study examines terrorism in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand Emily Smith
New study examines FARC’s development of narco-submarines Valerie Snaman
New START model forecasts the flow of foreign fighters Jessica Rivinius
New Research Brief Released: The Use of Violence by Ethnopolitical Organizations in the Middle East
New database provides insights into terrorism countermeasures Catherine Llamido
Leading terrorism expert discusses mobilization of women into terrorist networks Samantha Goldman
LaFree speaks at National Institute of Justice conference Emily Bonta
LaFree Discusses Terrorism Myths and Realities
Hegghammer explains variation in western jihadists J.R. Taylor
Have you seen it yet? START Research Review
Financing terrorism through trade diversion Lauren Sagl
Discussion Point: The Prospective Military Power of Al Qaeda Affiliated Groups in the Syrian Conflict Aaron Lin, Daniel Smith, Ryan Pereira
Database Spotlight: Muslim Public Opinion and Public Opinion in the Islamic World on Terrorism, al Qaeda and US Policies (PIPA) Nicholas Munson
Database spotlight: Big Allied and Dangerous (BAAD) Emily Bonta
Dagher discusses ISIL in Iraq and new public opinion data Charlotte Taylor
Background Report: Truck carrying radioactive material stolen in Mexico
Al-Shabaab Attack on Westgate Mall in Kenya
Al-Qaida's fatal terrorism under Osama bin Laden
A Discussion with Dr. Matthew Levitt, Author of Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God Laura Walker
2011-2012 Background Report Undergraduate Terrorism Analysis Training (UTAT) Program Application Deadline Extended
Image Title Job Title Institution
Victor Asal

Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of Public Administration

 University at Albany, State University of New York
Thomas Guarrieri

Assistant Research Scientist, Unconventional Weapons & Technology (UWT) Division, START

 University of Maryland
Steve Sin

Director, Unconventional Weapons and Technology (UWT)

Subject Matter Expert Instructor, National Center for Security & Preparedness

 University of Maryland
Sheehan Kane

Researcher/Data Collection Manager, START

 University of Maryland
Samuel D. Henkin

Assistant Research Scientist, START

 University of Maryland
R. Karl Rethemeyer R. Karl Rethemeyer

Associate Professor of Public Administration & Policy

 University at Albany, State University of New York
Peter Simi

Associate Professor, Chapman University

Director, Earl Babbie Research Center

 Chapman University
Michelle Jacome Michelle Jacome

Operations Officer on International Finance Cooperation at the World Bank
Michael Jensen

Senior Researcher, START

 University of Maryland
Marcus A. Boyd

Senior Researcher, GIS, START

Director, Graduate Studies, START

 University of Maryland
Kurt Braddock

Assistant Professor, American University

 American University
Gary LaFree

Founding Director, START; Chair, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

 University of Maryland
Gary Ackerman Gary Ackerman

Associate Professor, SUNY Albany

 University at Albany, State University of New York
Erin MIller Erin Miller

GTD Program Manager, START

 University of Maryland
Elizabeth Yates

Senior Researcher, START

 University of Maryland
Clark McCauley Clark McCauley

Professor of Psychology

 Bryn Mawr College
Brandon Behlendorf Brandon Behlendorf

Assistant Professor, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, SUNY Albany

 University at Albany, State University of New York
Barnett Koven Barnett S. Koven

Training Director

Near-peer Competition Lead Researcher

Counterterrorism Lead Researcher

 University of Maryland
Adam Martin

Software Developer, Vexterra Group
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