Bunch of Guys
Encyclopedia
A Bunch of Guys or Group of Guys (GOGs) are terms used by counter-terrorism
officials to refer to small, self-organizing terrorist
cells. BOGs typically have little to no contact with global terrorist groups like al Qaeda, so they independently plan and execute their own operations with no outside guidance. BOGs are usually anonymous groups of disaffected amateurs who "self-radicalize".
The term "Bunch of Guys" was popularized by Marc Sageman
, author of the book "Leaderless Jihad."
In 2000, Canadian authorities determined that a small group of angry Algerian
men were harmless, and called them just a "bunch of guys." One of the group's members, Ahmed Ressam
, was later detained with a load of nitroglycerin and timing devices that he planned to use in a terror attack at Los Angeles International Airport
.
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
officials to refer to small, self-organizing terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
cells. BOGs typically have little to no contact with global terrorist groups like al Qaeda, so they independently plan and execute their own operations with no outside guidance. BOGs are usually anonymous groups of disaffected amateurs who "self-radicalize".
The term "Bunch of Guys" was popularized by Marc Sageman
Marc Sageman
Marc Sageman , M.D., Ph.D., is a former CIA Operations Officer who was based in Islamabad from 1987 to 1989, where he worked closely with Afghanistan's mujahedin. He has advised various branches of the U.S. government in the War on Terror...
, author of the book "Leaderless Jihad."
In 2000, Canadian authorities determined that a small group of angry Algerian
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
men were harmless, and called them just a "bunch of guys." One of the group's members, Ahmed Ressam
Ahmed Ressam
Ahmed Ressam is an Algerian al-Qaeda member who lived in Montreal, Canada.He was convicted of attempting to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport on New Year's Eve 1999, as part of the foiled 2000 millennium attack plots...
, was later detained with a load of nitroglycerin and timing devices that he planned to use in a terror attack at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
.