Terror for Profit, Part 2: Tsunami of Attacks

Tsunami:

A catastrophic wave, usually caused by a submarine earthquake, an underwater or coastal landslide, or a volcanic eruption.

In Part 2 of Terror for Profit, I focus on lone wolves and the tsunami of attacks that began in 2016 and plague the West today. I explain why these attacks occur and why their numbers are far greater than any similar attacks that have occurred in previous waves of terrorism.

Recent events starkly illustrate the relevance of this work. Ahmed Aldi was sentenced recently (May 2024) to over 44 years imprisonment for a lone wolf attack he carried out in Hartlepool, UK, on October 15, 2023. His attack adds to the sad but growing picture I outline in this section of Terror for Profit. Alid was a Moroccan asylum seeker who armed himself with a weapon post the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 and had come to the attention of authorities. While existing on the fringes of UK society, he had found his cause and committed actions that made him "count" to his peers.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, who led the investigation, said at Alid’s sentencing:

“International conflicts can create a mix of outrage, grief, and grievance, which has the potential to galvanize those with an extremist or potentially extremist mindset to take action. Sadly, as we have seen in this case, it can have devastating consequences.”

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley’s analysis is laser-focused on aspects of terror that I examine in detail. My book explains how we reached this point to better understand lone wolves and how they fit within contemporary terrorism.