Terrorist Attacks The Politics of Claiming Responsibility

Author(s): Nodirbek Soliev and Mohammed Sinan Siyech

Source: Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, Vol. 8, No. 8 (August 2016), pp. 17-21
Published by: International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research
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 Terrorist Attacks: The Politics of Claiming Responsibility - Nodirbek Soliev & Mohammed Sinan Siyech

Terrorist Attacks:
The Politics of Claiming
Responsibility
Nodirbek Soliev & Mohammed Sinan Siyech

While the so-called Islamic State (IS) has rushed to claim credit for terrorist
attacks across the world, especially in Western countries, it has been rather
cautious in claiming responsibility for those conducted in Turkey and Saudi
Arabia. This variation in respect of claiming credit is largely influenced by the
strategic goal pursued by IS towards a particular country or region.

Introduction

Since June 2016, there has been a surge in terrorist operations attributed to
IS around the world. IS’ militants and supporters were responsible for dozens
of attacks in several countries including the U.S., Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon,
Turkey, Iraq, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, France and most recently in
Germany, Pakistan and Afghanistan, killing and injuring several hundred
people.

Although IS has claimed credit for most of these attacks, it has been reluctant
to accept responsibility for the attacks in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Given the
strategic value of a successful terrorist attack, especially amidst significant
military setbacks, it is worthwhile to explore IS’ selective approach towards
claiming responsibility as it will provide some insights into IS’ strategic
thinking, calculations and objectives.

Attacks in Turkey and Saudi Arabia

The suicide attacks at the Istanbul Airport on 28 June 2016 and three attacks
in Saudi Arabia on 4 July 2016 bore all the hallmarks of those carried out by
IS in Belgium and France (Reuters 2016). While IS was quick to claim
responsibility for the attacks in Belgium and France, it has not done so for
Turkey or Saudi Arabia. The nature of the attacks, the tactics used, target
selection, scale, timing, and post-attack investigations and arrests indicate

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 Terrorist Attacks: The Politics of Claiming Responsibility - Nodirbek Soliev & Mohammed Sinan Siyech

both attacks in Turkey and Saudi Arabia to be

the work of IS. “ The targets, nature
The Istanbul Airport attack was a coordinated and timings of the
suicide operation against civilians and security
personnel that killed at least 44 people and
wounded 238 others. The Turkish government
attacks all point to IS’
has pointed the finger at IS. The attackers were
reported to be members of a “special unit” sent involvement, a
directly from Raqqa, IS’ stronghold in Syria, and
part of a semi-autonomous clandestine IS cell
operating in Turkey. According to the Turkish
hypothesis supported by
government, it was a seven-person cell under
the command of Akhmed Chataev, a Russian various security
citizen of Chechen origin, who is believed to be
one of IS key Chechen commanders and leader officials. ”
of its cell in Istanbul. The suicide attackers were
reported to be nationals of Russia (Osman
Vadinov, from Russia’s Dagestan Republic), Prophet Mohammed – the second holiest site in
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and/or Uzbekistan (IS Islam, after Makkah (David 2016). This is not the
claims to have “covert units” in a number of first time that Saudi Arabia has been attacked by
countries including Turkey and Saudi Arabia). the group. There have been many attacks that
The timing of the attack is also revealing as it took place over the last two years targeted
coincided with the second anniversary of IS’ mainly at Shia mosques and worshippers or the
announcement of its so-called caliphate on 29 security forces of the country (Saab 2015). Other
June 2014. targets include security agents, foreign workers
and diplomatic buildings (Khayat 2016).
Most recently, on 21 August 2016, another
suicide bombing in the Turkish city of Gaziantep The targets, nature and timings of the attacks all
killed more than 51 people, mainly Kurdish point to IS’ involvement, a hypothesis supported
civilians attending a wedding, and injured nearly by various security officials (Reuters 2016). The
70 others. This attack also points quite strongly attack on the mosque in Qatif area also rules out
to IS involvement even though there has been no the possibility of Al Qaeda’s involvement due to
claim of responsibility. The Turkish government its refusal to attack innocent Shias (Byman
and the Kurdish political parties have named IS 2015). However, like in Turkey, none of these
as the perpetrator of this attack. The Kurdish three blasts have been claimed by IS.
armed groups, which are also conducting attacks
on the Turkish government, has been cleared of Other Prominent Attacks
responsibility as the civilians killed in this attack
were supporters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ The two other prominent attacks that have been
Democratic party (HDP) (Yeginsu 2016). IS is claimed by IS are the mass shootout in a gay
known to have an extensive network in night club in Orlando on 12 June 2016 and the
Gaziantep, which is 29 miles (46km) north of the attack carried out in Nice, France on 14 July
Syrian border. The attack can also be interpreted 2016. The Orlando attack which killed more than
as IS’ way of taking revenge against the Kurdish 50 people was carried out by a man of Afghan
offensives in Syria, where Kurdish militias have descent who was believed to have no direct links
been gaining victories against IS. It may also to IS. Many reports have claimed that he was
indicate IS’ aims of exploiting ethnic fault lines mentally unstable, a closet homosexual and a
between Kurdish and Turkish people (Letsch racist. His final act was to call the authorities and
2016). pledge allegiance to IS, Jabhat al-Nusra and
Hezbolla – all enemies of one another.
In Saudi Arabia, three attacks took place towards
the end of Ramadan, shortly before the Eid The attack in Nice was carried out by a Tunisian
celebrations. The first was at a mosque in the who drove a 19-tonne truck into a large crowd
Qatif area which is largely Shia, the second at a celebrating the Bastile Day holiday, killing 84
US consulate in Jeddah and the third at security people. Here too, the perpetrator is said to be
guards stationed next to the mosque of the mentally unstable and a drug addict. The

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 Terrorist Attacks: The Politics of Claiming Responsibility - Nodirbek Soliev & Mohammed Sinan Siyech

attacker was also not connected in any way to IS

which makes this an IS-inspired attack at best. “ By quickly publicising
This was enough however for IS to claim credit
for this major attack soon after (O Toole 2016). its “involvement” in
Although these two attacks were carried out by
people ‘inspired’ by IS ideology but with no direct
operational links to the group, IS’ eagerness to
such attacks, IS seeks to
claim responsibility raises questions about its
motives in doing so. It is reasonable to assume inspire other vulnerable
that IS’ claim of responsibility for the attacks in
the Western countries came as part of its
strategy to strike terror and work towards
individuals within
deepening the divides between Muslims and non
-Muslims in the US and Europe. diaspora communities
By quickly publicising its “involvement” in such in the West to initiate
attacks, IS seeks to inspire other vulnerable
individuals within diaspora communities in the
West to initiate similar attacks. This strategy similar attacks. ”
appears to have worked. For instance, IS’ claim
of responsibility for the Orlando shootings
seemed to have set off a chain of similar acts of addition, the increased official scrutiny of
violence in Nice, and most recently in Germany, diaspora communities as a result of the terrorist
when a 17-year-old Afghan refugee carried out attacks would in turn arouse disenchantment
an axe-and-knife assault on a train on 18 July among Muslims. The backlash against Muslims
2016. increases the risk of radicalisation and plays
directly into IS’ game plan of fomenting
‘Benefits’ of Claiming Credit communal discord and recruiting Muslims
disillusioned with Western governments and
IS’ selectiveness in claiming credit for attacks societies for future attacks.
could be multiple and context-based. There are
costs as well as benefits in claiming Absence of Claims: A Strategic Move
responsibility (Lynn Rorie 2008) which is typically
issued after the successful accomplishment of a For IS, the above ‘benefits’ would not apply to
terrorist operation and publicised by the group Muslim majority countries like Turkey and Saudi
and its affiliates. It adds significance to terrorist Arabia. Additionally, IS would not want to incur
attacks, which is often described by scholars as bad publicity by claiming an attack on the second
a “strategic and communicative act” (Eric Min holiest site of the very same religion they purport
2013). For the perpetrator, it is one of the easiest to fight for; the strong condemnations made by
and most reliable ways to differentiate himself Muslims around the world show that IS was
from other potential perpetrators operating in a shrewd enough to stay silent on the attack
particular arena (Hoffman 2010). By (Hume 2016). This holds true for Turkey too, a
acknowledging its responsibility publicly, the country considered as a secure bastion of Islam
group sends a political message to the targeted in a tumultuous region. The high number of
audience about its motives and identities. casualties in the Istanbul Airport attack also drew
strong criticisms from Turks as well as Muslims
In democratic countries like the U.S. and France, worldwide.
taking credit gives IS added advantages. The
free press in these countries could be counted Another reason IS did not claim responsibility
upon to play up the threat of Islamist terrorism could be that it did not want to alienate
and in the process, arouse distrust and anger sympathisers and potential recruits who might be
towards Muslim communities and refugees. This turned off by the killing of fellow Muslims (The
is evident from the significant rise in New York Times 2016). Another possible
Islamophobic attacks in countries like the U.S., rationale could be that it is afraid of decisive
UK, France and elsewhere in the wake of the retaliatory strikes by Turkish and Saudi
Paris attacks in November 2015 (Jenkins 2016) governments. An increased involvement of the
and now, after Orlando, Nice and Germany. In two key regional powers in active fighting against

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 Terrorist Attacks: The Politics of Claiming Responsibility - Nodirbek Soliev & Mohammed Sinan Siyech

IS in Syria and Iraq might threaten its core

terrain. “ Another reason IS did
By being less accountable, IS also hopes to not claim responsibility
avoid heavy retaliation against IS cells in these
countries which would be less restrained than
Western countries in terms of arrests,
could be that it did not
incarcerations, elimination of cells and disruption
of operations. IS would want to avoid such an want to alienate
eventuality in Turkey where it has many human
networks that help to smuggle people and goods
in and out of Syria (Gingeras 2016). A large
sympathisers and
number of arrests would eliminate their cells and
disrupt their operations. This is especially potential recruits who
relevant to Saudi Arabia where previously more
than 400 arrests were made on a government might be turned off by
clampdown in July 2015 (Gander 2016).

Claiming responsibility for terrorist attacks the killing of fellow

selectively is a strategic move by IS leadership to
further its agenda in the specific countries. Given Muslims. ”
its reasons for staying silent, it would be
worthwhile for authorities in these countries to
fully expose IS’ duplicity and hold it responsible Bilal Y. Saab. 2015. Can the House of Saud
for the attacks so that it would attract the full Survive IS? Foreign Affairs, Accessed July 27,
opprobrium of the Muslim world. More than that, 2016.
Turkey and Saudi Arabia should take strong and
decisive police action against IS cells and rings Daniel L.Byman, Jennifer R Winters. 2016. IS vs.
of supporters within their borders before they Al Qaeda: Jihadism’s global civil
cause more harm to life and property and war. Brookings, Accessed July 27, 2016.
undermine social and political stability in the
country. Eric Min, 2013. Taking Responsibility: When and
Why Terrorists Claim Attacks. Accessed July 27,
2016.
Nodirbek Soliev is a Senior Analyst at the
International Centre for Political Violence and Francis David. 2016. Bombings in Saudi Arabia
Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a constituent unit Cap a Deadly Week of Global Terror, Foreign
of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Policy, Accessed July 27, 2016.
Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore. Hoffman, M. Aaron. Voice and silence: Why
groups take credit for acts of terror. Department
Mohammed Sinan Siyech is a Research of Political Science, Northern Illinois
Analyst with the International Centre for Political University, Accessed July 27, 2016.
Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a
constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of Gander, Kashmira. 2015. Saudi Arabia arrests
International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang hundreds of suspected IS jihadists. Independent,
Technological University, Singapore. Accessed July 27, 2016.

Jace Jenkins and Celisa Calacal. 2016. The

References: Growing List Of Anti-Islam Incidents Since
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 Terrorist Attacks: The Politics of Claiming Responsibility - Nodirbek Soliev & Mohammed Sinan Siyech

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