Global Terrorism Resource Database
Currently under development– Please check back frequently.
This site was developed to inform research into the phenomenon of global terrorism. The project was completed by Nicholas Lotito, Haverford College class of 2010, and updated by Katie Drooyan, Haverford College class of 2011, under the direction of Assistant Professor of Political Science Barak Mendelsohn. This research was undertaken in support of the following courses: POL358 (War on Terrorism), POL256 (The Evolution of the Jihadi Movement), POL357 (International Relations Theory: Conflict and the Middle East), and POL253 (Introduction to Terrorism Studies).
Although the bulk of terrorism research findings are presented via traditional literature (e.g. articles, journals, reports, and press releases), this database focuses on other sources. In particular, this database lists sources for raw datasets and databases that combine a significant number of resources. This site also hosts the Al-Qaeda Statements Index, a student-created Haverford resource.
Al-Qaeda Statements Index – See Al-Qaeda Index
Haverford hosts an index of statements made by Al-Qaeda leaders. The index is arranged by keywords, and was created by Nicholas Sher ’10.
For other terrorist documents, see Terrorist documents on this page.
Online data sources – See Data Sources
Includes statistical indicators and datasets, as well as document collections.
Public opinion surveys – See Opinion Polls
A listing of useful, public domain sources for opinion research.
Databases of terrorist acts – See Databases of terrorist acts
Each public dataset of terrorist events is linked and described here.
Major terrorism research centers
There exist a number of research centers that devote a significant portion of their research capacity to questions of terrorism. The websites of these organizations provide access to original reports and literature produced by affiliated scholars. The bulk of original data is presented only within the context of a report or press release. The following are a few of the most significant contributors to the field:
Academic
Non-profit
A comprehensive database of global research organizations in international relations and security policy with descriptions and links can be found at: http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/IR-Directory
Terrorist documents
Terrorist communications and accurate English translations are not broadly available from a public, open source. The following organizations provide professional terrorist monitoring services on a subscription basis:
Outside of these professional services, many documents can be located through the following sources:
- World News Connection (Tripod)
- Provides translations of non-English language sources from around the world.
- Source for translations of terrorist statements.
- NEFA – Nine/Eleven Finding Answers
http://www.nefafoundation.org/
- Provides English translations of statements made by Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
- At least one NEFA consultant (Evan F. Kohlmann) has had his work published in Foreign Affairs.
- MEMRI – Middle East Media Research Institute
http://www.memri.org/
- Provides translations of news articles, statements, and videos related to terrorism and Islamic extremism in the Middle East. Also features a project to translate items found on Islamist websites.
- Some scholars are critical of the distribution of MEMRI’s translation coverage: “It is impossible to quantify the damage done by partisan translation services such as the Middle East Media Research Institute, which have consistently misled American audiences about the real distribution of opinion and argument in the Arab media.”[1]
- Other scholars have cited MEMRI translations in their work: e.g. Moghadam, A. “Palestinian Suicide Terrorism in the Second Intifada: Motivations and Organizational Aspects.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 26:65–92, 2003.
- Combating Terrorism Center – U.S. Military Academy
http://www.ctc.usma.edu/
- Publishes translations of certain longer jihadi documents.
Terrorist organizations
- Terrorist Group Profiles – Naval Postgraduate School (U.S. State Dept. data)
http://www.nps.edu/Library/Research/SubjectGuides/SpecialTopics/TerroristProfile/TerroristGroupProfiles.html
- “How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering Al-Qaeda” – Rand Corporation
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG741-1.pdf
- A major study of the success and failure of terrorist groups over time.
- Includes a large table of all organizations in the dataset, giving Organization name, Operating years, Peak Size, Economic type of operating country, Regime type of operating country, Group Type, Goal, and why the group ended (PDF)
- Also includes a table of all direct Al-Qaeda attacks.
- Background Articles on Terrorist Organizations – Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/issue/456/terrorist_organizations.html
- Good articles covering major groups.
- Groups covered (since 2007): Taliban, Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Jamaat al-Islamiyya, Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK), al-Qaeda, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (GSPC), homegrown Pakistani militants, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jemaah Islamiyah, Fatah al-Islam, Abu Sayyaf
- Center for Defense Information
- Terrorist Organizations
http://www.cdi.org/terrorism/terrorist-groups.cfm
- A list of known terrorist organizations from the U.S. State Dept. list.
- Fields provided: Name, Date started/first active, Goals, Anti-U.S. activities to date, Strength, Operational locations, Affiliations, Comments.
- Terrorism Project: In the Spotlight
http://www.cdi.org/
- Each “In the Spotlight” article details an individual terrorist groups.
- Since 2001, most major groups have been detailed.
- Islamic Para-Military Groups – GlobalSecurity.org
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/para-islamic.htm
- Original articles on a number of groups. Some articles lack references.
- Groups covered: Al-Qaida; Europe: Islamic Great Eastern Raiders Front, Turkish Hizbullah; Middle East: Al-Sadr Group, Aden-Abyan Islamic Army, Ansar Al Islam, Asbat al-Ansar, Hamas, Hizballah, Islamic Task Organization, Al-Jihad, Palestine Islamic Jihad, Al-Qaeda Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Shabab al-Moumineen, Saudi Hezbollah, Supreme Council For Islamic Revolution In Iraq; Southeast Asia: Abu Sayyaf Group, Gerakan Mujahideen Islam Pattani (GMP), Moro Islamic Liberation Front; Central and South Asia: Ahl-e-Hadees, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HUM), Hizb-i-Islami, Hizb ut-Tahir al-Islami, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jamaat ul-Fuqra, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Taleban, United Jihad Council; Africa: Al Sunna Wal Jamma, Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Fighting Islamic Group, Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement, al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, The Supreme Islamic Courts Union (ICU)
- Terrorism.About.com list of terror groups
http://terrorism.about.com/od/groupsleader1/a/TerroristGroups.htm
- Fairly short articles on a short list of major terror groups and leaders.
- Groups covered: Al Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad
- International Institute for Counter-Terrorism – Profiles of International Terrorist Organizations
http://212.150.54.123/organizations/intnl_org.cfm
- Not linked from main ICT site. May no longer be updated.
- Includes background information, links to articles, and a chronology of the group’s attacks from 1988-“present” (probably not up-to-date)
- Profiles in Terror: The Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations, by Aaron Mannes
Book available from BMC via Tripod
- Profiles major global terrorist groups, detailing each organization's Ideology and Objectives, History, Leadership, Organization, Financial Support, Links to States and Terrorist Organizations, Areas of Operation, and Targets and Tactics.
Country-specific lists:
Islamist Political Parties
- Political Handbook of the World
http://library.cqpress.com/phw/
- Provides descriptions of significant political parties in every country.
- For a more detailed description of this source, see Data Sources.
- A brief list of Islamist movements
- Legal Islamist parties (organizations currently enjoying legal political participation)
- Muslim Brotherhood
- Lebanon – Hezbollah
- Iraqi Kurdistan – Islamic Movement in Kurdistan, Islamic Group of Kurdistan, Islamic Union of Kurdistan
- Iranian Kurdistan – Khabat
- Palestinian Territories – Hamas
- South Asia – Jamaat-e-Islami (Pakistan, with sister organizations in India, Bangladesh, Kashmir, Sri Lanka)
- Turkey – Justice and Development Party (disputes Islamist label), Felicity Party (little support, strongly Islamist)
- Bahrain – Al Wefaq
- Illegal Islamist organizations
- International — Al-Qaida*
- Afghanistan — Taliban
- Algeria — Groupe Islamique Armé†*, Islamic Salvation Front†, Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb)*
- Egypt — Gama'at Islamiya†*
- Central Asia — Hizb ut-Tahrir
- Somalia — Islamic Courts Union
- South Asia —Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
† group is currently inactive
* listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government
- Selected books (held by Haverford) discussing political Islam
International Agreements
- UN Treaty Database
http://treaties.un.org/Pages/Home.aspx?lang=en (u: vyk369 OR treaties)
- Includes all multinational treaties deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as other major multilateral treaties
- Provides full text and ratification status information.
- Electronic Information System for International Law – American Society for International Law
http://www.eisil.org/
- Large database of basic information about international agreements, including links to the best versions of the texts available on the web.
- Multilaterals Project – Tufts University
http://fletcher.tufts.edu/multilaterals.html
- Includes an array of treaties in the fields of the environment, human rights, commerce and trade, laws of war and arms control, and other areas.
- Provides full text and, in some cases, links to ratification status.
- Treaties in Force – U.S. State Dept.
http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/treaties/2007/index.htm
- Divided into a bilateral list and a multilateral list, briefly describes all treaties to which the USA is a party.
- Bilateral section: lists agreements by country, then topic; provides agreement name, date signed, date entered into force, and relevant US legal code section
- Multilateral section: lists agreements by subject; provides agreement name, date signed, date entered into force (global and U.S.), depositary, parties, and a link to current status of the treaty
- Full text NOT provided.
- Arms Control and International Security: Lists of Treaties and Agreements – U.S. State Dept.
- The following bureaus provide full-text list of agreements related to their missions:
- ASIL Guide for finding international treaties
http://www.asil.org/resource/treaty1.htm#Section2
- Provides links to further sources of international treaty information. Includes a section on finding non-US treaties.
News Sources
· World News Connection (Tripod)
o Contains hundreds of international news items that are added daily.
o Source: Non-U.S. open-source political speeches, television programs, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles, periodicals, and books.
o Subject focus: military, political, environmental, scientific, technical, and socioeconomic issues and events. Full-text.
· Access World News (Tripod)
o Extensive U.S. newspaper collection and select articles from world news sources, including translations from languages other than English.
· Lexis-Nexis Academic (Tripod)
o Large collection of English-language world news sources. Also includes Spanish, French, German, Italian and Dutch language sources.
o Includes newspapers, magazines, broadcast and political transcripts, wire services, campus news, and polls and surveys from the Roper Center.
Other Sources
United States Government
- State Department
- Major State Department Publications
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/dos/221.htm
- Links to all major publications, including annual Country Reports on Terrorism, Background Notes (country profiles), Human Rights Reports, and the Religious Freedom Report.
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports
- Written by the U.S. Congress’ research staff, CRS reports The reports are public domain, but the government does not publish them online. Instead, third-party websites like Open CRS provide access to the reports. Topics cover full range of government concerns, including foreign policy.
- Open CRS
http://opencrs.com/
- Searchable database of almost all CRS reports.
- Includes reports from other free CRS sources, such as the National Council for Science and the Environment and the Federation of American Scientists.
- Zfacts CRS Search
http://zfacts.com/p/576.html
- A Google-powered search interface for CRS reports in PDF format.
- For the CIA World Factbook, see Data Sources.
United Nations System
World Bank
- World Bank e-Library
Haverford access: http://masetto.worldbank.catchword.org/vl=1491576/cl=12/nw=1/rpsv/home.htm
- Online search portal for over 4,500 World Bank documents. Includes over 1,800 World Bank publications and over 2,700 Policy Research Working Papers.
- Topics covered include: poverty reduction, development, finance, economics, education, legal and judicial issues, and water supply.
- For World Bank statistics, see Data Sources.
Maps
Contact: rrubio(at)haverford.edu, bmendels(at)haverford.edu
Last updated: July 6, 2010
[1] Lynch, M. Voices of the New Arab Public. New York, Columbia U. Press: 2006.