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Putting Grassroots Terrorism in the Proper Perspective

Dec 8, 2016 | 08:00 GMT

Abdul Razak Ali Artan, an 18-year-old student at Ohio State University, injured 11 people during an attack on campus Nov. 28 before university police killed him. Understanding the limits of grassroots attacks can help combat the hype surrounding them.
Abdul Razak Ali Artan, an 18-year-old student at Ohio State University, injured 11 people during an attack on campus Nov. 28 before university police killed him. Understanding the limits of grassroots attacks can help combat the hype surrounding them.

(KIRK IRWIN/Getty Images)

When it comes to claiming attacks, the Islamic State seems to believe in the old advertising adage that there's no such thing as bad publicity. The group apparently feels that the very mention of its involvement in an attack, successful or otherwise, will serve to fuel public panic -- a strategy that has proved effective. No matter how inept an attacker or how ineffective an assault, the Islamic State is quick to take credit, even where credit does not appear due. One such example is a recent attack in Ohio. Just after 10 a.m. on Nov. 28, an 18-year-old student named Abdul Razak Ali Artan drove onto the Ohio State University campus where he was enrolled. Running his vehicle over a curb, Artan struck a group of pedestrians then exited the car and began attacking passersby with a large knife. About a minute into the incident, a responding university police...

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