The Making of a Homegrown Terrorist: Brainwashing Rebels in Search of a Cause

by Peter A. Olsson MD

Overview

What are the factors that lead some individuals to become terrorists? In this book, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst examines case histories of terrorism and reveals how radicalized youths living next door can become dangerous homegrown terrorists.

Religious zeal and passionate dogma can be powerful motivators for homegrown recruits of terrorist organizations. In this book, Peter A. Olsson, MD, applies his years of work with disordered personalities to the psychological understanding of why seemingly ordinary Americans turban into murderers of their countrymen. He identifies the psychodynamic patterns of the lives of those who become "homegrown terrorists" and commit acts of cold-blooded murder, examining 20 detailed case histories of individuals—often youths or young adults—to provide theoretical and practical understandings.

The book focuses on individuals that include Timothy McVeigh; Ted Kaczynski, a.k.a. "The Unabomber"; the "Shoe-Bomber" Richard Reid; Colleen LaRose, a.k.a. "Jihad Jane"; Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born, former U.S. Army officer who opened fire on American troops at Fort Hood, Killeen, TX, killing 13 and injuring more than 30; and Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tzarnaev, the two brothers charged with placing pressure cooker bombs at the finish line area of the 2013 Boston Marathon. It also delves into topics such as distinguishing between "good charisma" in a youth versus "evil charisma" and recognizing the characteristics of a healthy group or leader versus those with unhealthy motivations—subject matter that will be of interest and importance to anyone from concerned citizens and parents to teachers and terrorism specialists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440831010
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/25/2014
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Peter A. Olsson, MD, is a retired psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who practiced and taught psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis in Houston, Texas, for 25 years and in New Hampshire for 12 years.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1 The Vulnerable In-Betweeners and the Children of Terror 11

2 Basic Techniques of Terrorists' Brainwashing and Indoctrination 16

3 In-Betweener Countries and Communities 22

4 The Personal Pathway Model of Terrorist Development 32

5 Adam Gadahn: A Television Voice of Al Qaeda 43

6 John Walker Lindh: The American Taliban 46

7 Nidal Malik Hasan, MD: Fort Hood's Jihadi Doctor of Death 50

8 Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo: An Explosive Conscientious Objector 54

9 Jose Padilla, Bryant Neal Vinas, and Sharif Mobley 58

10 Richard Reid and Umar Farotik Abdulmutallab: UK and Nigeria's Homegrowns 65

11 Omar Hammami of Alabama: The Jihadi Next Door 69

12 Aafia Siddiqui and Colleen LaRose: Female Homegrown Terrorists 72

13 Right Wing Ideology and Its Violent Fringe 86

14 A Left Wing Homegrown Terrorist: Bill Ayers 107

15 The Boston Marathon Bombers, Chechnya's History, and Spiritual Heirs of Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki 122

16 Decisions, Actions, and Responsibility of Homegrown Terrorists 139

Afterword: What We All Can Do to Help Prevent Homegrown Terrorism 155

Appendix I Timeline of Homegrown Terrorist Actions 157

Appendix II Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act 159

Appendix III Recommended Reading List 171

Glossary 173

References and Works Consulted 181

Index 191

Editorial Reviews

Olsson, a retired psychiatrist and psychoanalyst with 37 years of experience, deciphers the complexities of these mass murder-minded killers. He structures his enlightening book with a broad enough scope, written in clear terms, to be mind-opening.” —The Keene Sentinel

“It is a highly insightful analysis.” —Perspectives on Terrorism

“This very scholarly, easy to read, and outstanding book should be required reading in colleges and certainly is a basic and significant text for psychoanalysts seeking to understand terrorism. I highly recommend it.” —Psychodynamic Psychiatry

From the Publisher

"This very scholarly, easy to read, and outstanding book should be required reading in colleges and certainly is a basic and significant text for psychoanalysts seeking to understand terrorism. I highly recommend it."

Psychodynamic Psychiatry

"Olsson, a retired psychiatrist and psychoanalyst with 37 years of experience, deciphers the complexities of these mass murder-minded killers. He structures his enlightening book with a broad enough scope, written in clear terms, to be mind-opening."

The Keene Sentinel

"It is a highly insightful analysis."

Perspectives on Terrorism