Breaking Al-Qaeda

Elena Mastors, Ph.D., is the vice president and dean of Applied Research at the American Public University System (APUS). She is the former vice president and dean of the School of Security and Global Studies and program director of the Graduate Intelligence Studies and National Security programs.Previous to her work with APUS, she was an associate professor in the National Decision Making Department of the Naval War College, and also held various senior intelligence and policy positions in the Office of Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and the Defense Intelligence Agency.Dr. Mastors is an expert on political psychology as it pertains to conflict, terrorism, and political leadership. She writes frequently on understanding leaders and group dynamics from a political–psychological perspective. She is also a frequent lecturer on the important role of individuals and group dynamics in armed groups. Dr. Mastors is on the Board of Directors at the Institute for the Study of Intercommunal Conflict at Washington State University. Her professional affiliations include the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE), the International Studies Association (ISA), the International Society for Political Psychology (ISPP), and Women in Security (WIS).Dr. Mastors has published on the subjects of conflict and armed groups. Her coauthored books include Introduction to Political Psychology (Psychology Press, 2010) and The Lesser Jihad: Recruits and the Al-Qaida Network (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007).

• The Road to Breaking al-Qaeda. The Origination and Continuation of the Threat. The Mentality of the Threat. The Business of Influence. Breaking Individuals. Breaking Groups. Breaking Relationships Between Groups. The Final Break.

... there is a need for a very hands-on, up-close, and personal engagement to dislodge the radical Islamist ideology once it takes root. Dr. Mastors’ work fills this gap between the psychological and tactical approaches to defeat Al-Qaeda. Her experiences, as an intelligence operator and conducting field research to interview those who were compelled to turn away from political terrorism, well position her to offer insight and practical guidance to defeat the radical ideology. This book serves to educate those on the front line, as well as strategic planners and thinkers on the subject of Breaking Al-Qaeda.—Colonel Jennifer L. Hesterman, United States Air Force (retired) and author of The Terrorist-Criminal Nexus: An Alliance of International Drug Cartels, Organized Crime, and Terror Groups