A Comparative Analysis of the Nature and Evolution of the Domestic Jihadist Threat to Australia andCanada (2000-2020)

This article traces the evolution of the jihadist threat to Australia and Canada across the first 20 years of this century. First, this study examines and compares the incidents of jihadist terrorist violence that have occurred. Second, it analyses disrupted and failed terrorist plots that occurred during this period, documenting the full scale of the threat to each country. Finally, it examines and compares the characteristics of all jihadists arrested for, or killed committing, domestic terrorism offenses. Findings reveal a marked similarity in the numbers of incidents, disrupted plots, and characteristics of the individuals arrested across Canada and Australia, but also some key differences with important implications for understanding the diverse local manifestations of the global threat, even in highly similar societal contexts. The identification of these patterns has implications for theorizing about the factors influencing the process of radicalization leading to violence in each national context and generally, as well as the local adaptation of strategies for countering violent extremism.