ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Islamic State’s recruitment of Americans via social media platforms. It introduces the term “virtual entrepreneur,” describing it as a hybrid between what are commonly seen as the two previous manifestations of the jihadi terrorist threat to the West: networked and inspired lone attacker plots. Virtual entrepreneurs are members of jihadi terrorist groups who seek to introduce Western recruits into wider extremist milieus, as well as offering suggestions on conducting attacks. The chapter reviews one of the most sustained attempts to import this type of terrorism to the United States, originating from a group that was based in Islamic State-held Raqqa, Syria, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation nicknamed “the Legion.” It finds that these types of actors pose a complex challenge to counterterrorism authorities.
