The Myth of the Lone Wolf Terrorist

While the term “lone wolves” suggests terrorists who have had no contacts with terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS), almost of all the perpetrators of recent attacks in Europe, Israel, and the U.S.—even those described as “lone wolf” attacks—were in direct communication (usually online) with recruiters and with Islamists in their own communities. In fact, writes Julie Lenarz, a web of connections links perpetrators of jihadist terror in France and Britain over the past five years. Lenarz argues that describing these perpetrators as “lone wolves,” despite ample evidence to the contrary, has the benefit of helping to disguise a real problem: