Publication

This paper deals with the meaning and scope of the phenomenon of 'homegrown terrorism'. The authors begin by tracing an ambiguity in the term 'homegrown', which is both about belonging in the West and autonomy from terrorist groups abroad. A quantitative study of Islamist terrorism in the West since 1989 reveals an increase in both internal and autonomous terrorism since 2003 and that most plots are now internal - but not autonomous. Finally, the authors suggest that an increase in autonomous terrorism is a transitory phenomenon.