STRATEGIC FLASHLIGHT SERIES
Kidnapping and beheading as tactics
of asymmetric warfare: security
implications for Australia and beyond
This closed door briefing will be
delivered by Jason Thomas, private
security consultant and PhD candidate
at Curtin University; and Gavin Briggs,
lecturer in International Relations and
National Security at Curtin University.
Date: Thursday, 25 June 2015
Location: Curtin Graduate School of Business
Meeting Room, 78 Murray Street, Perth
Time: 5.30pm networking for 6.00pm start
RSVP: Dr Alexey Muraviev
([email protected]) by 23 June.
The kidnapping and beheading of foreigners by ISIS are
tactics of asymmetric warfare that penetrate our moral,
mental and physical boundaries of conflict. An event
involving an Australian would have inspirational value
for home-grown terrorism and present serious political
consequences for Australia’s foreign policy. Given Australia’s
active participation in areas influenced by this group, there
is a risk that an Australian national could become a victim.
With a high number of Australian nationals deployed in
areas under the influence of these tactics and numerous
programs funded by the Australian government, care must
be taken to ensure moral, ethical and legal responsibilities
are discharged, and that programs and organisations are
aligned for the best outcomes.
Make tomorrow better.
humanities.curtin.edu.au
SPEAKER
BIOS:
Jason Thomas
Gavin Briggs
Jason Thomas is a private consultant specialising in fieldbased human terrain assessments that inform the design
of stability frameworks to neutralise security threats within
complex operating environments. He has worked with the US
military counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan where
he negotiated with Taliban Commanders in Ghazni, Wardak
and Logar. Jason has negotiated with LTTE commanders in
the civil war area in Sri Lanka, and the Ronderos in northern
Peru. He has completed human terrain assessments for
cross border operations in northern Iraq and north east
Syria, Jordan and southern Syria. Last year Jason completed
the only field assessment for the proposed TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, traveling almost
the entire route. He has also worked in southern Mindanao
Philippines and South. Jason is PhD candidate at Curtin
University, using Col. John Boyd’s OODA loop to analyse how
to neutralise threats from salafi-jihadi inspired homegrown
terrorism. He also teaches abduction management for
companies working in high risk environments.
Gavin Briggs is a lecturer in national security and
international relations at Curtin University’s Department of
Social Sciences and International Studies. He has 15-years’
experience working in Commonwealth and State Government
departments, including adviser roles in the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of the Premier and
Cabinet (WA) and as an Intelligence Analyst with a federal
law enforcement agency. As a public affairs officer in the
Air Force Reserve, with the current serving rank of Squadron
Leader, he has been on deployments in the Middle East Area
of Operations and Southern Indian Ocean. He holds a Master
of Strategic Affairs from ANU, Postgraduate Diploma of Arts
(Political Science) from UWA and a Graduate Certificate in
Criminal Intelligence from Charles Sturt University. He is
presently a PhD candidate with Curtin University.
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