The Myth Of The ‘Lone Wolf’ Terrorist

For better or worse, terrorism now plays an omnipresent role in the international news media narrative. Terrorist attacks (in the West) generate a massive amount of coverage and days of deconstruction and analysis far beyond their relative effects. But despite this coverage and attention, could society be deluding itself to the true nature of modern terrorism?

This is the question posed by Jason Burke in this longread for The Guardian. He does this by examining one particularly prevalent part of the terrorism narrative — the idea of the so-called 'lone wolf' terrorist.

Used continuously by not just the media, but also governments, academics and counter-terrorism experts, the term 'lone wolf' refers to an individual committing terrorist acts without any links to larger organizations or help from outside parties. Many recent terrorist attacks, including that which recently took place outside UK Parliament in London, have been described as such.

In his article, Burke examines the history of the term, and how it originated in far-right circles, before being reapplied to a new generation of Islamist terrorists. He also shows how it is being used in a way which is both misleading and dangerous. Most terrorists given this label, in fact, do have connections to radical groups, and almost all had a connection to another person who initially radicalized them.

Overall this article is a timely read, as it shows how whole societies can buy into an easy oversimplification of a complex problem. What's more, it shows how this oversimplification can then go on to put lives at risk.