The podcast exploring how much we really know about terrorism and what is being done to stop it. Hosted by former British soldier Adnan Sarwar. Understanding terrorism is the first step in fighting it. Preventing acts of terror is a major priority for governments across the globe. Yet terrorism has fallen off the news agenda, we’ve had other things to think about. And while the eyes of the world are elsewhere, there are well organised extremists who haven’t given up their fight. Yet it’s hard to engage with something we don’t understand; Daesh, ISIS, Islamic State, ISIL... what do these terms actually mean? Are they the same thing? Taking Apart Terror is a brand-new podcast presented by former British soldier, Adnan Sarwar, who served in the Iraq War. Across 10 episodes, Adnan speaks to experts to learn about every aspect of how terrorist organisations operate: how they're funded, how they communicate, and the role of women. He discovers what's really going on behind the scenes, and what the world is doing to stop them. For the first time ever, the world’s leading counter terrorism and extremism experts join Adnan to explore the world of terrorism, including leading professors from universities across the globe who specialise in extremism, organisations who prevent terrorism and investigative journalists who have risked their lives to bring true stories of terrorism to the world. Taking Apart Terror tells extraordinary stories from a former Al-Qaeda recruiter and features the brave ‘Mosul Eye’, a citizen journalist called Omar Mohammed, who risked his life to tell the world about the atrocities taking place in his city. The harrowing realities of terrorism are shared by a mother who lost her son in the Manchester Arena attack and Nobel prize-winner Nadia Murad who stood before President Trump and demanded help for her Yazidi people, who suffered unimaginable brutality at the hands of Daesh. A terrorist organisation doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to out compete the opposition that it’s up against. Terrorists want us to be confused, they want to us to be scared, they want to seem like a terrifying threat with mythical status. Taking Apart Terror, from The Global Coalition against Daesh, is here to help us understand more and fear less, exploring every aspect of how terrorists work and what the world is doing to stop them.
The Global Coalition Against Daesh
How would you react if you lost a family member in an act of terrorism? In the final episode of Taking Apart Terror, Mike Haines, Omar Mohammed and Figen Murray remember their lost loved ones - David, Ahmed and Martyn - and how they refuse to let terror extinguish their compassion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What does it take to get past the horrors of terrorism? How do you start to restore homes, cities, neighbourhoods, lives, minds? We explore what communities are doing to recover from the devastation caused by groups like Daesh. We ask if the world is doing enough to help them and hear first-hand from those trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered communities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What attracts people to violent extremism? How can we prevent radicalisation? And, if someone joins a terrorist organisation, how easy is it for them to leave? We answer all these questions. Plus, we hear from a former Al Qaeda recruiter about why he was drawn to the group, and from a Syrian refugee whose best friend threatened to murder him for not supporting the Daesh cause. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The situation in Afghanistan is dominating headlines. But how much sense does it make to you? The Taliban, ISIS K, TTP, Al Qaeda - does it feel like you've missed the chance to understand what's going on? We have the answer. In this special edition we unravel who is who, where they've come from, what they want and, crucially, as we mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, what it means for our safety. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We all know about counter terrorism, right? SWAT teams, dark ops and recruiting “assets”? That's some of it. But successful counter terrorism doesn't start with what people do, it starts with what they want. Adnan finds out more about what the world is doing to try and put a stop to violent extremism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Imagine a terrorist. What do you see? It probably isn't a woman. But – you'd be surprised. This time we discover just how many roles women play in terrorist activities. Plus, we hear why, until women are included in the solution, we're going to keep struggling to solve the problem of violent extremism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“There is actually still a lot of pro ISIS material on Instagram” – Anne Craanen, Tech against Terrorism. The power of the internet is open to everyone – terrorists included. This time our expert panel – including Anne Craanen and Omar Mohammed who, as the ‘Mosul Eye', risked his life using social media to tell the world about the brutal occupation of Mosul - lift the lid on Daesh's skilful use of the web and social media. We also hear from journalist Marc Marginedas, held hostage by the infamous “Beatles” as yet another part of the group's deadly propaganda machine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How much does a terror attack cost? Where do violent extremists get their money from? And could you be contributing to Daesh funds by mistake? Adnan lifts the lid on the murky world of terrorism financing as well as discovering just what's being done to cut off the cash supply – including getting some inside information from INTERPOL. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How are terrorist organisations run? Who decides on the plan? Do they have marketing departments, finance, HR? Can fighters take leave? Adnan looks behind the scenes at how the business of terror is managed – including hearing from a former Al Qaeda recruiter on ‘living in an era where narratives are more important than weapons'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
ISIS, IS, ISIL, Daesh – what is this organisation actually called, and why does its name matter? Is it still active and how much do we need to worry about it? In Taking Apart Terror's first episode, an expert panel guides Adnan Sarwar through the basics of this group: its name, its structure, what it's trying to do. So that when we see news about a bombing or terror attack, we can react in a way which doesn't actually help the bad guys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Adnan Sarwar introduces 'Taking Apart Terror' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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