Brothers in Arms: siblings in acts of terror has long history
Why is it that so often acts of terror are carried out by brothers working together?
As shocking as the terror attacks on Brussels were, one fact about them may not have been such a surprise. Authorites say that two brothers, Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, helped carry them out and it's hardly the first time two siblings have been involved in acts of terror.
From 9/11 to the Boston Marathon bombings to Brussels, there are plenty of examples of family ties that lead to extremism. As counterterrorism officials look into the psychology behind sibling terror acts, many say there is a long but under-studied history of siblings and radicalization that needs to be examined more closely.
How brothers keep turning up as suspects in terrorist attacks
Guests in this segment:
- Arie Kruglanski, professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, who studies the social psychology of terrorism and radicalization.
- Amarnath Amarasingam, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, and currently co-directing a study on western foreign fighters.
"I didn't see it coming." In the CBC documentary, A Jihadi in the Family, Calgary mother Christianne Boudreau tells the story of how she lost her son, Diamian Clairmont to ISIS.
This segment was produced by The Current's Vanessa Greco, Catherine Kalbfleisch and Ines Colabrese.