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Understanding Terror Networks Hardcover – Unabridged, May 14, 2004

by Marc Sageman (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 63 ratings
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    232 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Pennsylvania Press
  4. Publication date
    May 14, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    6.3 x 1 x 9.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0812238087
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0812238082
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Pennsylvania Press; First Edition (May 14, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 232 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812238087
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812238082
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1 x 9.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 63 ratings

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Marc Sageman

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4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
63 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

David Southworth
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Challenging the Dominant Perceptions of Al Qaeda
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2005
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Marc Sageman, holding degrees in doctors of psychiatry and sociology, as well as experience working with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 1980s as a case officer with the CIA, has provided original insight into the nature of the global Islamist (he labels it Salafist) jihad that perpetrated 9/11 and still challenges free people of the world today.

Through empirical research, including studying the biographies 175 known terrorists, Sageman has come to the conclusion that the Al Qaeda threat resembles a network of self-selected individuals who, with their fellow conspirators, are carrying out terror attacks against their targets. This social network resembles an airline, with main hubs where more information passes through and connects the various cliques that make up the small teams of terrorists. The hubs pass information from the leadership down to the cliques, and vice-versa. These teams are held together more by friendship, kinship, and discipleship than any traditional recruitment methods.

The keys to understanding Al Qaeda are in its flexibility, its close-knit ties within each individual clique, and the shared sense of purpose in executing terror attacks. Furthermore, if the cliques could not somehow form a "bridge" with one of the terror "hubs" it is unlikely to go through with any major terror attacks.

This understanding of Al Qaeda as a series of "hubs" and "nodes" is a valuable insight. I believe this book would be enjoyed by anyone who read it. I highly recommend Sageman's work.
42 people found this helpful
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ArmyGreg11B
4.0 out of 5 stars al-Qaeda ideology
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2011
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Some experts claim they do not forecast jihadism as becoming a mass movement. However, if the al-Qaeda ideology sways a few hundred followers in countries with many Muslim immigrants, that is enough to wreak havoc. Conscription in Europe and other areas are fueled by the sense of isolation and dissatisfaction in Western culture. Though, not a lot is understood on the recruitment and retention of terrorist organizations outside of predisposed profiles. Sageman's work puts together an insightful and thorough analysis on how individuals are driven to join terrorist organizations, with particular regard to the global Salafi jihad movement. Sageman, a professor of psychiatry and ethno-political conflict, applies his mixed experience to construct an empirical argument for the socio-psychological reasons why people join diabolical organizations such as al-Qaeda.
The title Understanding Terror Networks may generate a misconception with information seekers, as it does not review the broad spectrum of terrorist organizations. For instance, nationalist groups such as the PLO and IRA are neglected within this working, and since the author mostly focuses on the rise and practices of al-Qaeda and global Salafi jihad, most of the material only goes back to the 1980's. This limitation, though possibly misleading to students and scholars of the topic, provides strength in the overall presentation of the revealing information. It allows the reader to hone in on the carefully constructed argument of what drives individuals to enter such an illicit lifestyle and not become preoccupied with other unserviceable information.
Sageman introduces the reader to the phenomenon of the modern, global jihad movement and presents where the ideas of such a wide scale, passionate operation have originated as he outlines Salafi jihad. The author briefly divulges on important contributors such as ibn Taymiyyah and Sayyid Qutb, and discussing the Muslim Brotherhood. Through these providers, Sageman offers an excellent outlining of the movement in its historical framework.
The author relies on the notion that the entire movement itself can be dated back to the Soviet war in Afghanistan. As Muslim's joined together for one central cause, fighting the communist invaders, they developed a cohesive bond. After the Russians pulled out, these foreign freedom fighters, or mujahedeen, sought to volunteer for further contributions to the Muslim cause. These volunteers were motivated by piggybacking on the ideology that previous Islamist theorist proposed and modern leadership exploited. This philosophy is centered on the opinion that the once strong Muslim world was overtime weakened by corrupting influences of the west. Sageman goes further to put claim on that most of these Muslims drawn toward a global jihad are essentially poorly schooled in traditional Muslim schooling.
Prior to the global Salafi jihad movement, Egypt faced its own internal Islamist movement as organizations such as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) began to arise, allowing future al-Qaeda leadership, such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, to gain further useful organizational training. Groups such as the EIJ had the original goal to overthrow the Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state. Sageman points to this hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism as the precursor to what is seen today with the global jihad movement. The Gulf War of 1990-91, U.S. presence in Somalia (Muslim state), and international pressure on countries to expunge dangerous Islamic movement brought forth further aims to also include attacking the United States and Israel interests in Egypt and abroad.
Sageman indulges more into the "blowback" theory of how the CIA covert operations during the Russian-Afghanistan War led to the global Salafi jihad movement. Although he pins the blame indirectly on U.S. operations, he puts forth a rarely seen perspective claiming that the global jihad was a course of evolution; the gradual process in which something changes. He implies that the traditional Afghan Arabs of 1988 were not the same people of the global Salafi mujahedeen in 1998. This understanding alone undercuts the theory. Non-Afghan mujahedeen went to Sudan after the war, only to be exiled many years later. Their return brought forth the global Salafi jihad.
In chapter three, Sageman presents an analytical portion which he is most suited for. Using quantitative data of 172 members of four specific terrorist networks, including the Central Staff (head leadership), the Core Arabs, the Maghred Arabs (North Africa), and the Southeast Asians, he presents a comprehensive analysis to test popular social explanations of terrorism. Through this process he is able to accurately refute most preconceived concepts of what makes up a terrorist, including faith as an adolescent, family structure, and geographical origin.
The most interesting result of the social background analysis is a look at education. Sageman says that the common believe is that terrorists come from strong religious-based school system which has enabled them to take up the path of God. However, after analyzing 137 terrorists, more than 83 percent (114) came from secular educational backgrounds. There is also a belief that terrorists are reasonably ignorant and vulnerable to brainwashing. Through the data of 132 terrorists, more than 71 percent (94) had at least some college experience.
Sageman goes deeper into his analysis by putting forth individual factors leading to joining a jihad, especially psychological explanations. He asserts that a lack of empirical data is the plaque of open psychological research on terrorists and leaves the field exposed to wild speculations. Mental illness and personality traits are explored and concluded with Sageman stating that as concepts are stretched to be all-inclusive, they lose their practicality.
Beyond refuting certain aspects that specialists and the general populous take for granted, Sageman takes a different approach to understanding what drives the individual into joining the global jihad and allows him to reason out his actions. He attempts to present the recruitment process but even admits that this perspective of enticement has him bewildered. Sageman has narrowed down three terrorist tactics to drive up recruits, which are kinship, friendship, and worship.
Relative deprivation, religious predisposition, and ideological appeal have commonly become seen as the necessities for the decision to becoming a freedom fighter. However, Sageman's theory and main argument to undertaking such a destructive role can be attributed solely to social bonds. He states these connections are the critical element and even herald ideological obligations.
Moving past what may be deemed as the author's strongest empirical evidence for joining the jihad, Sageman covers the social communication between networks of terrorist cells. He draws upon the idea that stemming from the four main networks there has evolved numerable islands, or cliques, which make up the main body of the overall organization. He determines that these separate small groupings as both strong and weak. Strengths include robustness and flexibility. The main weakness of these cliques is remoteness and an inability to connect with the top. However, new methods in communication, such as the internet, allows for easier streamlining and dissemination.
Sageman sporadically acknowledges the threat from this movement and occasionally displays his thoughts on combating such an all-encompassing undertaking. One argument he puts forth on battling back is to continuously attack and remove hubs, or communication linkages, to the point where a group would be incapable of mounting sophisticated large-scale attacks. He also recommends vigilance, for individuals and governments. He recommends governments to investigate previous graduates from jihad training facilities.
The strongest recommendation is Sageman's request to shrink the potential recruitment pool through nonaggressive tactics. He describes fundamental Muslims as dissimilar and a singular policy that attempts to dissuade all jihadists could be counterproductive. These peaceful fundamentalist could be the key to disabling the network which threatens society.
Understanding Terror Networks is a unique perspective on global Salafi jihad movement. Marc Sageman displays his prowess in the field of psychiatry and ethno-political conflict by presenting a painstaking viewpoint of the layout of what motivates recruitment. By using data of previously detained and analyzed terrorists, Sageman is able to quantitatively disprove previous notions of terrorist profiles. This more accurate description now allows policymakers to aim resources in more valued and effective directions. Although misleading in its title, this book clearly demonstrates the threat imposed on western society by a diabolic network of clear headed, conscious extremists.
2 people found this helpful
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Joseph F. Birchmeier
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting Look Inside the Terrorist Networks
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2008
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An outstanding book that provides the reader not only with the structure of terror networks, but also information as to why and how individuals and groups join the global jihad. Based on extensive research of known terrorists, the author, in my opinion, has drawn the proper conclusions and supports each of his claims in an easily understood manner.

I especially liked the author's attempts to provide feasible actions that the government should consider to better attack these networks and improve the security of our nation. Additionally, I found the author's description of the type of individuals (age, marital status, education level etc.) that join these terrorist networks extremely interesting and surprising.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fresh look inside the terrorist networks.
2 people found this helpful
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Rufus Flywheel
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2014
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An absolute essential for researchers in the field of terrorism studies. Sageman is without doubt one of the worlds leading researchers and authorities on global terrorism and he again confirms this with his work here.

You won't be disappointed.
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Peter Norman
5.0 out of 5 stars Important reading.
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2016
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This book was suggested to me by a colleague. It shows a different aspect of the problem and unexpectedly justifies the maligned Presidential response to terrorism.
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John S
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2007
Verified Purchase
I heard Marc speak at a JIEDDO conference last Fall and decided to get his book. I was impressed that he was the only outside expert invited to speak at this conference. His book is very informative. It is probably one of the best books out there in terms of understanding terrorist networks, and how new members are recruited. This is a must read if you need to know or are just curious about what drives someone to become a part of such an organization. Be prepared to put aside your preconceived notions as he dispels many myths about what motivates such individuals. You will be surprised to find that the common terrorist is not some mentally disturbed religious fanatic but a fairly ordinary family man. Marc makes plenty of disclaimers regarding how general his conclusions are due to the limited sample size of his study, but I think that one can safely draw several general conclusions from his excellent research and insight.
2 people found this helpful
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PILAR
5.0 out of 5 stars needed for school
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019
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small text and easy to comprehend
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edhardyarmylady
5.0 out of 5 stars I was lucky to get a signed copy of this informative book
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2014
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I liked this book a lot and I think of terrorists in the ways that the book describes. It was eye-opening.
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WFilho
1.0 out of 5 stars Não tem números de páginas reais como anunciado na descrição.
Reviewed in Brazil on November 10, 2015
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11 Nov 2016 (atualização) - A informação de que o livro contém números de páginas reais não é verdadeira. Comprei o livro ano passado, verifiquei a falha e acionei a Amazon, mas decorridos 12 meses a editora não corrigiu o problema e, pior, o erro permanece na descrição do livro após todo este tempo. O site informa claramente que a obra contém 224 páginas correspondentes à edição original ISBN. Contudo, isso não é verdade. O formato é antigo e somente é possível visualizar as posições, o que causa problemas para aqueles que desejam fazer citações em trabalhos acadêmicos pelas normas da ABNT. É um absurdo a informação errônea ainda continuar no site.
One person found this helpful
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Adorno
5.0 out of 5 stars Prescient Academic Study
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2006
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As a Foreign Service Officer Sageman spent time working with the Mujaheddin in Pakistan during the war with the Soviet Union, he's also a qualified clinical psychiatrist and has a PhD in Political Science and as result brings an interesting mix of skills to this analysis. The empirical basis of the study are the biographies of around 170 identified al-Qaeda related terrorists. Part of the book provides an overview of the ideological and organizational development of the global salafist movement focusing on the importance of Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization. However the key contribution is the way that Sageman uses to his empirical data to develop a picture of the type of people who became involved in al Qaeda, the group dynamic of radicalization and the emergence of links to the resources and expertise of the group around Osama Bin Laden. The process that he sees is essentially bottom up where relatively well educated but often unemployed and alienated men forge links with small groups of others of the same type. The competitive dynamic within these groups - what Canadian police surveillance of one such group labelled a "bunch of guys" - supports increasing radicalization within the group and isolation from non-members. These groups then seek to make the connection to the global jihad. Using network analysis Sageman explores the strengths and vulnerabilities of this type of network.

What is striking in the wake of the July 2005 bombings in London is the way in which what we know about that group fits with the type of process that Sageman identifies. Indeed he makes the point that the difficulty that global salafist mujaheddin faced in striking at the US after 2001 led to attacks in countries that they could access and this dynamic places the UK at increased risk.

This is a model for studies of terrorism that systematically seeks to make use of empirical data and to test alternative explanations. Highly recommended.
13 people found this helpful
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jmmt1986
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2015
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Good book,
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Bernard Maguire
5.0 out of 5 stars The recipient was delighted, thank
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2016
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Purchased as a gift. The recipient was delighted, thank you
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andrew pettitt
5.0 out of 5 stars delivered as advertised
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2015
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delivered as advertised
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