Magnus Ranstorp
Magnus Ranstorp is a Swiss born terrorism expert who emerged from the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews. He is currently Chief Scientist at the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish National Defence College. He was CNN's principal consultant on terrorism before and after 9/11 [1] and in 2004 was referred to by The Herald as, "the most quoted British academic in the United States." [2]
St. Andrews and CSTPV
Ranstorp has been associated with Paul Wilkinson since at least September 1990 when he was reportedly present at a London conference organised by the Research Institute for the Study of Conflict and Terrorism. [3] Ranstorp studied his PhD under Paul Wilkinson in the early 1990s. His thesis 'Radical Shi'ism in Lebanon: Western government crisis management techniques in dealing with hostage incidents, 1982-1992' was published by the University of St Andrews in July 1995. After completing his thesis Ranstorp joined the University and its Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, established in 1994. When Paul Wilkinson stepped down as Director of CSTPV , Ranstorp was appointed Acting Director and then briefly Director from early to mid 2005. [4]
According to SACC:
- Dr Magnus Ranstorp, another key CSTPV figure (currently also a Chief Scientist at the Swedish National Defence College) provided much of the thinking behind the government initiatives that followed the Madrid bombings. It was he who popularised the concept of a "terrorist career path" that begins with spiritual training and progresses to terrorism through exposure to "propaganda" about struggles in places such as Algeria and Chechnya. So Muslims who find the whole of their spiritual, social and political life under scrutiny from the intelligence services have Dr Ranstorp to thank.[5]
John Upton wrote an article for the London Review of Books in 2004 which stated that Ranstorp, then head of the Centre, "regularly briefs senior government and security officials overseas and in the UK – among them, Assistant Commissioner David Veness". [6]
Affiliations
- Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence former Director
- Risk Management Solutions Consultant
- Oxford Research Group Associate
- Eden Intelligence Advisor
- Expert Group on Violent Radicalisation, member
- National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism Advisory board
Notes
- ↑ International Speakers Bureau, Magnus Ranstorp, (accessed 30 October 2008)
- ↑ Vicky Allan, 'We are the guardians of the world', The Herald, 11 April 2004
- ↑ Vicky Allan, 'We are the guardians of the world', The Herald, 11 April 2004
- ↑ Copy of ‘Introduction to CSTPV’, by Alex P. Schmid, Director CSTPV (from CSTPV Annual Report 2007) retrieved from URL: <http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~wwwir/research/cstpv/about/information.php> on 24 October 2008
- ↑ 01 June 2006 SACC Press Release from Scotland Against Criminalising Communities Thursday 1 June for immediate release "Terror expert" promotes "clash of civilisations" at Edinburgh media conference Expert critic of spin to speak at Edinburgh meeting on Monday
- ↑ John Upton, ‘In the Streets of Londonistan’, London Review of Books, 22 January 2004
