Penetrating Terrorist Cells

For John, BLUF:  The fight against Daesh will be a long, hard, slog.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From The Soufan Group we have "The Family Ties of Terror".  The head of The Soufan Group is former FHI Agent Ali Soufan.

Bottom Line Up Front:

• Several members of the terrorist cell that attacked Paris on November 13 were related to each other—the latest in a long line of family terror ties
• Small terror cells made up of mostly relatives or close friends are the greatest challenge for intelligence services seeking to infiltrate with human sources
• Smaller and more family-based cells provide an intense feedback loop of radicalization and reinforcement, resulting in plots of intense commitment, as well as intense disagreements when they occur
• The younger the relative in a terror cell, the more likely he or she is under the sway of an older sibling, adding a level of familial obligation and fear to the radicalization process.

One can see how inflation of such small cells can be very hard for intelligence services.

Regards  —  Cliff