Brian Michael Jenkins

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

- MEREDITH WOLF SCHIZER

Q_You immersed yourself in the study of plagues during a pandemic. What was that like?

A_Actually, I didn't set out to write this book. I had written a chapter on whether COVID-19 would increase the likelihood of future political violence for an academic book in Europe. In the process, I became fascinated by the legacies of pandemics. Since COVID-19 was keeping me off airplanes, I traveled back and forth in time through books and research reports, exploring post-pandemic landscapes, comparing them to what was happening here and now. Like any explorer, I kept a journal of my travels it became the book.

Your field of study is generally terrorism. What effect has COVID-19 had on worldwide terrorism?

There is no straight line from testing positive to terrorist bombings. Some terrorist leaders welcomed COVID-19 as an ally against their enemies. Others saw the resentment and anger over control measures as an opportunity to spread anti-government propaganda and recruit new followers. Major outbreaks of disease foment unrest, in some cases riots, and potentially acts of terrorism.

The pandemic has renewed concerns about bioterrorism, although the pandemic does not offer terrorists new capabilities or open paths they haven't already thought about before. However, more people thinking about how they might weaponize a pathogen or exploit current apprehensions to create terror is hardly a positive development.

Is there a correlation between pandemics and armed conflict? A causation?