Elena Pokalova
Biographic Data
| ID | 1494350 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Elena Pokalova |
| GIVEN NAMES | Elena |
| FAMILY NAME | Pokalova |
| SIGNATURE | POKALOVA E |
| AFFILIATIONS | National Defense University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 56 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Wagner Group in Africa: Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence
Russia’s Wagner Group has attracted a lot of attention in connection to its actions in Ukraine. The group’s activities in Africa are less publicized. At the same time, Wagner has made substantial inroads in many countries of the African continent. This article focuses on the case studies of Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan, and Mali and analyzes the nature of Wagner’s activities there. I demonstrate that Wagner’s service portfolio…
Chechen Combat Units in Ukraine: A Displaced Insurgency
The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad
The name Abdallah Azzam is not widely known outside the field of security studies. However, anyone who has ever looked into Islamism, Islamist terrorism, or the foreign fighter phenomenon would be familiar with Azzam's work. The Palestinian cleric left behind a rich collection of books and taped lectures, some of which have featured in al-Qaʿida and ISIS propaganda. Azzam has become an iconic figure among jihadists. Indeed, the plotters of the Se…
Neighbouring an insurgency: The case of radicalization in Georgia
In 2013, international news headlines started referencing Georgian Tarkhan Batirashvili, or Omar al-Shishani, as a rising star among foreign fighters in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). At the time, it was puzzling why a Georgian Kist would fight for ISIS. However, following al-Shishani, around 200 other residents of Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge travelled to Syria and Iraq. The trend raised numerous questions about radicalization in this co…
Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters: Threats and Challenges to the West
Georgia's Experiences with Foreign Fighters: Global Recruitment, Local Roots
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has attracted many foreign fighters from all over the world. ISIS has disseminated voluminous propaganda in painting itself as the defender of Islam. The core of ISIS messages is designed to have a global religious appeal. At the same time, ISIS has incorporated local issues and grievances into its propaganda message. The analysis of Georgia's experiences with foreign fighters reveals that ISIS has explo…
Islamic Radicalization in Russia’s North Caucasus: Lessons from Russia’s Handling of Religious Revival
Religious radicalization in Russia poses one of the most significant security threats as the insurgency in the North Caucasus continues to challenge stability in the region and the number of individuals leaving to fight in Syria and Iraq keeps growing. The Russian government has predominantly addressed the issue through the lens of counterterrorist operations, with most counter-radicalization narratives describing the threat as an imported phenom…
Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters: Threats and Challenges to the West
Driving Factors behind Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq
With the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the phenomenon of foreign fighters became a significant security concern. Governments around the world have become preoccupied with the possibility of their citizens leaving for combat zones and then coming back with training and experience. While previously foreign fighters participated in such conflicts as Afghanistan, Bosnia, or Chechnya, today ISIS has attracted reco…
The Al Qaeda Brand: The Strategic Use of the "Terrorist" Label
Al Qaeda leaders have consistently praised the Chechen insurgents as an exemplary front of global jihad. Ayman al-Zawahiri recently applauded the steadfastness of the Chechen rebels and indicated that their resolve for jihad is worthy of emulation. Ever since the world found out about a war going on in the Muslim republic in the North Caucasus, Al Qaeda leadership has attempted to represent the Chechen struggle as one of its own battlefields. In …
The North Caucasus: From Mass Mobilization to International Terrorism
Insurgencies have proven to be highly adaptive movements that exploit their environments and change and mutate in order to survive. States and international actors have long grappled with ways to thwart such adaptations. In this respect, disengagement initiatives that offer insurgents opportunities for alternative livelihood seem to present a viable mechanism for weakening insurgencies. Analyzing the case of the North Caucasus insurgency, this ar…
Conflict Resolution in Frozen Conflicts: Timing in Nagorno-Karabakh
Frozen conflicts have become a persistent phenomenon in the international arena. At the same time, very little research has focused on the factors that have prevented conflict resolution in such cases. This paper focuses on the case of Nagorno-Karabakh and analyses the role of timing for peace initiatives in frozen conflicts. The paper investigates how political, economic and foreign policy institutions that have emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh have …
Chechnya’s Terrorist Network: The Evolution of Terrorism in Russia’s North Caucasus
This expert's view into the strategic directions, tactics, leaders, and significant attacks connected to Chechen and North Caucasus terrorists examines the network's operations as well as the success of Russia's counterterrorist responses. This authoritative account traces the emergence of terrorism in the volatile region of the North Caucasus from its origins in the early 1990s through the present day. It presents a detailed examination of local…
Putin's Wars: The Rise of Russia's New Imperialism
In Putin's Wars, Van Herpen analyzes the motives behind Russia's shifts in its current geopolitical course and questions whether Moscow's actions are indicative of a new strategy or a continuation
Legislative Responses to Terrorism: What Drives States to Adopt New Counterterrorism Legislation
Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the amount of counterterrorism legislation worldwide. The commonly held assumption behind the adoption of counterterrorism legislation links it to the terrorist threat in a state. However, little research has focused on empirically testing reasons driving states to legislate. This article addresses this void by analyzing the puzzle of why states choose to adopt new terrorism-specific legislati…
Authoritarian regimes against terrorism: Lessons from China
Throughout history many terrorist organisations have originated in both democratic and authoritarian regimes. In their efforts to eradicate the terrorist threat, democracies and their authoritarian counterparts have employed a vast array of measures. Such measures, however, differ according to regime type. Thus, democracies generally have more constraints on their counterterrorist means than authoritarian regimes that are not bound by similar con…
Framing Separatism as Terrorism: Lessons from Kosovo
Framing separatism as terrorism presents numerous opportunities for governments facing ethno-nationalist challenges. Namely, such framing allows states to avoid addressing the ethno-nationalist roots of separatist conflicts. This article analyzes incentives and opportunities that terrorism presents for states involved in ethno-nationalist separatist conflicts. The article investigates how the framing dynamics proved to be successful in the cases …
Recommended Books
The Wagner Group in Africa: Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence
Russia’s Wagner Group has attracted a lot of attention in connection to its actions in Ukraine. The group’s activities in Africa are less publicized. At the same time, Wagner has made substantial inroads in many countries of the African continent. This article focuses on the case studies of Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan, and Mali and analyzes the nature of Wagner’s activities there. I demonstrate that Wagner’s service portfolio…
Driving Factors behind Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq
With the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the phenomenon of foreign fighters became a significant security concern. Governments around the world have become preoccupied with the possibility of their citizens leaving for combat zones and then coming back with training and experience. While previously foreign fighters participated in such conflicts as Afghanistan, Bosnia, or Chechnya, today ISIS has attracted reco…
Legislative Responses to Terrorism: What Drives States to Adopt New Counterterrorism Legislation
Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the amount of counterterrorism legislation worldwide. The commonly held assumption behind the adoption of counterterrorism legislation links it to the terrorist threat in a state. However, little research has focused on empirically testing reasons driving states to legislate. This article addresses this void by analyzing the puzzle of why states choose to adopt new terrorism-specific legislati…
Authoritarian regimes against terrorism: Lessons from China
Throughout history many terrorist organisations have originated in both democratic and authoritarian regimes. In their efforts to eradicate the terrorist threat, democracies and their authoritarian counterparts have employed a vast array of measures. Such measures, however, differ according to regime type. Thus, democracies generally have more constraints on their counterterrorist means than authoritarian regimes that are not bound by similar con…
Framing Separatism as Terrorism: Lessons from Kosovo
Framing separatism as terrorism presents numerous opportunities for governments facing ethno-nationalist challenges. Namely, such framing allows states to avoid addressing the ethno-nationalist roots of separatist conflicts. This article analyzes incentives and opportunities that terrorism presents for states involved in ethno-nationalist separatist conflicts. The article investigates how the framing dynamics proved to be successful in the cases …
Georgia's Experiences with Foreign Fighters: Global Recruitment, Local Roots
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has attracted many foreign fighters from all over the world. ISIS has disseminated voluminous propaganda in painting itself as the defender of Islam. The core of ISIS messages is designed to have a global religious appeal. At the same time, ISIS has incorporated local issues and grievances into its propaganda message. The analysis of Georgia's experiences with foreign fighters reveals that ISIS has explo…
The Al Qaeda Brand: The Strategic Use of the "Terrorist" Label
Al Qaeda leaders have consistently praised the Chechen insurgents as an exemplary front of global jihad. Ayman al-Zawahiri recently applauded the steadfastness of the Chechen rebels and indicated that their resolve for jihad is worthy of emulation. Ever since the world found out about a war going on in the Muslim republic in the North Caucasus, Al Qaeda leadership has attempted to represent the Chechen struggle as one of its own battlefields. In …
The North Caucasus: From Mass Mobilization to International Terrorism
Insurgencies have proven to be highly adaptive movements that exploit their environments and change and mutate in order to survive. States and international actors have long grappled with ways to thwart such adaptations. In this respect, disengagement initiatives that offer insurgents opportunities for alternative livelihood seem to present a viable mechanism for weakening insurgencies. Analyzing the case of the North Caucasus insurgency, this ar…
Recommended Books
Framing Separatism as Terrorism: Lessons from Kosovo
Framing separatism as terrorism presents numerous opportunities for governments facing ethno-nationalist challenges. Namely, such framing allows states to avoid addressing the ethno-nationalist roots of separatist conflicts. This article analyzes incentives and opportunities that terrorism presents for states involved in ethno-nationalist separatist conflicts. The article investigates how the framing dynamics proved to be successful in the cases …
Authoritarian regimes against terrorism: Lessons from China
Throughout history many terrorist organisations have originated in both democratic and authoritarian regimes. In their efforts to eradicate the terrorist threat, democracies and their authoritarian counterparts have employed a vast array of measures. Such measures, however, differ according to regime type. Thus, democracies generally have more constraints on their counterterrorist means than authoritarian regimes that are not bound by similar con…
Legislative Responses to Terrorism: What Drives States to Adopt New Counterterrorism Legislation
Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the amount of counterterrorism legislation worldwide. The commonly held assumption behind the adoption of counterterrorism legislation links it to the terrorist threat in a state. However, little research has focused on empirically testing reasons driving states to legislate. This article addresses this void by analyzing the puzzle of why states choose to adopt new terrorism-specific legislati…
Conflict Resolution in Frozen Conflicts: Timing in Nagorno-Karabakh
Frozen conflicts have become a persistent phenomenon in the international arena. At the same time, very little research has focused on the factors that have prevented conflict resolution in such cases. This paper focuses on the case of Nagorno-Karabakh and analyses the role of timing for peace initiatives in frozen conflicts. The paper investigates how political, economic and foreign policy institutions that have emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh have …
Chechnya’s Terrorist Network: The Evolution of Terrorism in Russia’s North Caucasus
This expert's view into the strategic directions, tactics, leaders, and significant attacks connected to Chechen and North Caucasus terrorists examines the network's operations as well as the success of Russia's counterterrorist responses. This authoritative account traces the emergence of terrorism in the volatile region of the North Caucasus from its origins in the early 1990s through the present day. It presents a detailed examination of local…
Putin's Wars: The Rise of Russia's New Imperialism
In Putin's Wars, Van Herpen analyzes the motives behind Russia's shifts in its current geopolitical course and questions whether Moscow's actions are indicative of a new strategy or a continuation
The North Caucasus: From Mass Mobilization to International Terrorism
Insurgencies have proven to be highly adaptive movements that exploit their environments and change and mutate in order to survive. States and international actors have long grappled with ways to thwart such adaptations. In this respect, disengagement initiatives that offer insurgents opportunities for alternative livelihood seem to present a viable mechanism for weakening insurgencies. Analyzing the case of the North Caucasus insurgency, this ar…
Driving Factors behind Foreign Fighters in Syria and Iraq
With the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the phenomenon of foreign fighters became a significant security concern. Governments around the world have become preoccupied with the possibility of their citizens leaving for combat zones and then coming back with training and experience. While previously foreign fighters participated in such conflicts as Afghanistan, Bosnia, or Chechnya, today ISIS has attracted reco…
The Al Qaeda Brand: The Strategic Use of the "Terrorist" Label
Al Qaeda leaders have consistently praised the Chechen insurgents as an exemplary front of global jihad. Ayman al-Zawahiri recently applauded the steadfastness of the Chechen rebels and indicated that their resolve for jihad is worthy of emulation. Ever since the world found out about a war going on in the Muslim republic in the North Caucasus, Al Qaeda leadership has attempted to represent the Chechen struggle as one of its own battlefields. In …
Islamic Radicalization in Russia’s North Caucasus: Lessons from Russia’s Handling of Religious Revival
Religious radicalization in Russia poses one of the most significant security threats as the insurgency in the North Caucasus continues to challenge stability in the region and the number of individuals leaving to fight in Syria and Iraq keeps growing. The Russian government has predominantly addressed the issue through the lens of counterterrorist operations, with most counter-radicalization narratives describing the threat as an imported phenom…
Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters: Threats and Challenges to the West
Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters: Threats and Challenges to the West
Georgia's Experiences with Foreign Fighters: Global Recruitment, Local Roots
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has attracted many foreign fighters from all over the world. ISIS has disseminated voluminous propaganda in painting itself as the defender of Islam. The core of ISIS messages is designed to have a global religious appeal. At the same time, ISIS has incorporated local issues and grievances into its propaganda message. The analysis of Georgia's experiences with foreign fighters reveals that ISIS has explo…
The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad
The name Abdallah Azzam is not widely known outside the field of security studies. However, anyone who has ever looked into Islamism, Islamist terrorism, or the foreign fighter phenomenon would be familiar with Azzam's work. The Palestinian cleric left behind a rich collection of books and taped lectures, some of which have featured in al-Qaʿida and ISIS propaganda. Azzam has become an iconic figure among jihadists. Indeed, the plotters of the Se…
Neighbouring an insurgency: The case of radicalization in Georgia
In 2013, international news headlines started referencing Georgian Tarkhan Batirashvili, or Omar al-Shishani, as a rising star among foreign fighters in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). At the time, it was puzzling why a Georgian Kist would fight for ISIS. However, following al-Shishani, around 200 other residents of Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge travelled to Syria and Iraq. The trend raised numerous questions about radicalization in this co…
Chechen Combat Units in Ukraine: A Displaced Insurgency
The Wagner Group in Africa: Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence
Russia’s Wagner Group has attracted a lot of attention in connection to its actions in Ukraine. The group’s activities in Africa are less publicized. At the same time, Wagner has made substantial inroads in many countries of the African continent. This article focuses on the case studies of Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan, and Mali and analyzes the nature of Wagner’s activities there. I demonstrate that Wagner’s service portfolio…
Political science (15 works) · Law (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence (11 works) · Political economy (10 works) · Politics (8 works) · Terrorism (7 works) · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies (6 works) · Islam (5 works) · Law (5 works)