Publication

This issue of the CTTA focuses on four prominent and violent political personalities. The individuals include 1) Omar al Shishani, a Chechen who is currently an ISIS commander in Syria; 2) Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who is a senior Taliban commander in Afghanistan with close ties to Pakistan’s military (note: at the time of this posting, he may or may not be dead); 3) Malik Ishaq, who is one of Pakistan’s most feared terrorists and the leader of the anti-Shi’ite group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi; and 4) Hadi Al-Amiri, who heads the anti-ISIS Badr Organization. After profiling these individuals, the different articles’ authors conclude that 1) there is no single pathway to radicalization and violence among them, and 2) a person’s predisposition to violence hinges on a combination of personal and social factors, including his leadership qualities, religious scholarship and oratorical skills.