Studies on radicalization & comments

[davidbfpo]

A short, excellent BBC World Service podcast (23mins), using four experts to answer the question: What Kind of Person Becomes a Violent Jihadi? I caught Marc Sageman and Andrew Silke's names. The summary:

For decades researchers, academics and psychologists have wanted to know what kind of person becomes a terrorist. If there are pre-existing traits which make someone more likely to kill for their beliefs – well, that would be worth knowing. In this edition of The Inquiry – part of the BBC World Service Identity Season – we tell the story of that search for a ‘terrorist type’. It’s a story which begins decades ago. But, with the threat from killers acting for so-called Islamic State, finding an answer has never felt more pressing.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03qr716

One expert towards the end says words akin to:

Friends radicalise friends, nowt else. In Belgium two men started the recruiting off.

The presenter says words akin to:

After the next attack questions will be asked. What kind of person would do this? Anyone.

Marc Sageman has a very short comment:

Intelligence analysts know everything, but understand nothing....his ex-colleagues don't have the skills to find out why some people turn to political violence.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03r5572

By coincidence and being a post-arrest report maybe inaccurate, The daily Mail reports an arrest of an ISIS suspect in Majorca, Spain under the headline:

Revealed: 'ISIS recruiter' arrested in Majorca is Moroccan immigrant 'cocaine dealer' who worked as a chef at a tourist resort hotel

Link:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3549309/ISIS-recruiter-arrested-Majorca-Moroccan-immigrant-cocaine-dealer-worked-chef-tourist-resort-hotel.html?