Chapter 5: Who Becomes a Jihadi Terrorist and How?

The historical experience of global jihad in the US and UK has clearly been quite different. However, in order to move beyond superficial observation it is necessary to examine the problem in greater detail. Quantitative analysis enables a much more systematic comparison of key variables of interest, which in turn allows us to make empirically informed judgments about the existence and nature of any differences between the two countries, as well any changes that have occurred over time (and at this point the reader is encouraged to review the notes on ‘Analytical Method’ in the Introduction). This chapter begins with an overview of each sample, including a comparison of the rates of Islamist terrorist activity, individual classifications, and the geographic distribution of offenders in both countries. This is followed by an examination of demographic profiles, processes of radicalization, and ideological commitment (see Tables 5.1 and 5.2 for summaries of the data throughout).