Lone Wolf Terrorism

July 1, 2016
In the second edition of his book originally published in 2013, Simon (The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience with Terrorism, 1994, etc.) focuses his scholarship on spree killers who act alone or with minimal assistance.Whether Timothy McVeigh, Theodore Kaczynski, Nidal Malik Hasan, Anders Breivik, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Syed Farook, Tashfeen Malik, and other "lone wolves" should be labeled terrorists or something else--such as deranged mass murderers--matters to those who care about inflammatory language or reactions to it. In an appendix titled "Defining Lone Wolf Terrorism," Simon usefully discusses shades of gray in his word choices. The discussion is almost certain to cause disagreement among those who read it carefully, as the author's case for his use of the word terrorism isn't altogether convincing. That phrasing conundrum aside, Simon has conducted extensive research in an attempt to categorize lone-wolf mass murderers and perhaps understand some of their actual motivations, going beyond what they might proclaim publicly. The author's five-part categorization encompasses secular lone wolves, religiously motivated lone wolves, single-issue lone wolves, lone wolves motivated by financial gain, and severely psychologically disturbed lone wolves (often paranoid schizophrenics). Simon is especially intriguing in his discussions of why men dominate the lone-wolf category and why women rarely act in such a manner. Aside from his explorations into gender differences, the author breaks little-understood ground by exploring how easy access to the internet has influenced the formation of the terrorist mind and allowed killers to achieve notoriety after their sprees. Simon's historical perspective also offers context regarding past examples of lone-wolf killings in the U.S. Some of Simon's research validates common-sense conclusions about extreme human behavior, but the book contains enough fresh findings to recommend it to those who want to delve into such dark corners.

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November 5, 2012
Terrorism expert Simon (The Terrorist Trap) explores the potential threat posed by a single person, or "lone wolf," in this unsettling look into how the current political and technological landscape has radicalized and empowered dangerous individuals. Defining "terrorism" is difficultâthe U.S. State Department's definition is fluid, underscoring "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatants" without directly addressing the hazard of lone wolves like Timothy McVeigh; Anders Breivik, the Norwegian who killed 77 people in and around Oslo; and Nidal Malik Hasan, who opened fire at Fort Hood and killed 13 people. Simon explains that since the late 1880s, terrorism has come in distinct waves: the anarchist, the anti-colonial, the New Left, the religious, and now, overlapping with its predecessor, the technological. The author stresses the importance of the Internet, which has allowed radical outliers to participate in extremist communities via chat rooms, forums, and message boards, but Simon doesn't peg technology as merely an accessory to crimeâhe lays out several technological tactics to apprehend lone wolves, from increasing CCTV surveillance to investing in the study of biometrics. There's little to take comfort in, but Simon does a fine job separating unfounded fears from true threats. Photos. Agent: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.