​Instructor: Dawn Perlmutter, Ph.D.      Course length: 16 hours

The terrorist threat has arrived in the United States. The question is when will they strike next. Modern Terrorism Investigations prepares students to identify the signs of radicalization and the symbols of religious extremism within their respective jurisdictions. The course provides attendees with a knowledge base of violent extremist groups’ practices and modi operandi in order to facilitate more effective investigations and intervention.

Topics Include:

Jihadist Terrorists Signs, Symbols, and Ritual Violence
This comprehensive training is designed to provide law enforcement professionals with an extensive knowledge of Jihadist symbols, flags, emblems, graffiti, hand signs and other identifiers found on websites, social media, at protests, crime scenes and in prisons. Attendees will be trained on the historical significance and meaning of Jihadist symbols, customs, and ritual practices and how those beliefs are used to radicalize locals and incite violence. This training provides unique insights into the use of language, images, propaganda, and the role of Quran and Anti‐Islam film controversies to incite attacks in the United States. The recruitment and indoctrination that led to the Boston Marathon bombings and other attacks against America are demonstrated. The signs and symbols of the Al Qaeda network, Iranian backed terrorist organizations, and The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS/ISIL) are illustrated. Attendees will be instructed on performing a threat assessment of jihadist symbols, flags, emblems, and other identifiers.

Islamic State [aka ISIS, ISIL] Recruitment and Radicalization
This lecture provides law enforcement professionals with the history and evolution of the Islamic State from a terrorist group to a self-proclaimed Islamic State occupying portions of Syria and Iraq. This training will focus on the Islamic State’s techniques for radicalizing and recruiting Western fighters and inciting lone wolf attacks in the homeland. Topics include their successful use of social media, beheading videos, and propaganda campaigns as information warfare. The forensic, symbolic and strategic use of violent acts such as mass beheadings, crucifixions, and ritual murders are explained.

Jihadist Murder MO
This comprehensive training is designed to introduce law enforcement professionals to the crime scene identifiers, symbolism, trauma, and victimology specific to jihadist murders committed in the U.S., Britain, and other Western countries. Identifiers, symbols, and forensic evidence that distinguish a jihadist MO from street gangs, Mexican cartels, and other offenders will be presented. Significant distinctions between ‘honor killings’ and domestic violence will be described. Case studies include: Moore, Oklahoma Beheading, Serial Killings in Seattle and New Jersey, the beheading of British soldier Lee Rigby in London, the ritual murder of three men in Waltham, MA by Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the Boston bombers, and many other cases.

Mexican Narco Cult Beliefs, Symbols, and Rituals
This training focuses on Mexican Narco Cult religions, folk beliefs, ritual practices, and related identifiers including tattoos, altars, symbols, jewelry, sacred objects, and more. The prevalence of Saint worship in Mexico and areas of the U.S. particularly Santa Muerte, the Death Saint, will be described in detail including, shrines, forms of worship, and the rise of the darker variant that entails ritualized torture and killing as offerings. A symbolic analysis of cartel beheadings, internet execution videos, the public display of mutilated bodies, and accompanying narco messages will be presented. This training will provide insights into the symbolism and psychology of drug cartel beliefs and violent practices. Understanding ‘Shame Societies’ explains why violent acts are necessary to restore honor and save face. Attendees will learn what drug cartels hold sacred, taboo, worship and fear, and how to utilize that knowledge in intelligence and strategic operations.

Beheading Epidemic: Mexican Cartels and Jihadist Terrorists
Decapitation is one of the oldest and most effective forms of psychological warfare. This training demonstrates the strategic, symbolic, ritual, and propaganda applications of Mexican Cartel beheadings. An analysis of the various functions of severed heads will be described inclusive of decapitation as trophy, presentation, sacrificial, and judicial. This lecture will address what has become an epidemic of beheadings including cases in the United States. A detailed symbolic analysis of numerous ritual beheadings that reveal “beheading signatures” specific to the al-Qaeda network will be presented. Beheading as a strategy of psychological warfare by the Islamic State (ISIS) Army and other jihadist groups will be described. A detailed symbolic analysis of numerous Mexican cartel beheadings including the public display of severed heads, the positioning of mutilated bodies, and accompanying narco messages will be presented. This lecture will also address how heads and other body parts are being utilized in the worship of the narco saint ‘Santa Muerte’.

Due to the sensitivity of the material presented in this course, it is open only to members of law enforcement, military, and other government agencies.

This course is presented by Dr. Dawn Perlmutter. Dr. Perlmutter’s mission has been to advance knowledge, information, methodologies, and understanding of all expressions of symbolic and ritual violence. She provides law enforcement investigators, defense and intelligence agencies, forensic scientists, and criminal justice professionals with specialized information to assist in the investigation and analysis of unfamiliar areas of violent crime.
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Dr. Perlmutter also continues to develop interpretive research methodologies that are used in criminal investigative analysis. She continues to collect, systematize, and evaluate symbols, emblems, insignia, sacred objects, rituals, ideologies, etc., of hundreds of organizations, gangs, and sub‐cultural groups. Dr. Perlmutter’s lectures are frequently presented to standing-room-only crowds.

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