Rod Thornton

Rod Thornton served as a staff sergeant in the Green Howards infantry regiment of the British Army,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X30EW04OdEwC&q=%22Dr+Rod+Thornton%22&pg=PA248|title=Combating Terrorism and Its Implications for the Security Sector|isbn=9789189683983|last1=Winkler|first1=Theodor|last2=Ebnöther|first2=Anja H.|last3=Winkler|first3=Theodor H.|last4=Hansson|first4=Mats B.|year=2005}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/oct/01/military|title=Recruits who can't take abuse should not be in the army|type=Opinion | work=The Guardian|date=1 October 2008|first=Rod | last=Thornton}} serving in Germany, Derry, West Belfast and Catterick.

Rod Thornton began his academic career as a lecturer at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham. After Shrivenham, he went on to become a lecturer at the University of Nottingham's department of Politics and International Relations with research interests in terrorism and counterinsurgency. Thornton is the author of several books on warfare including Asymmetric Warfare: Threat and Response in the 21st Century (Polity Press, 2006) and Dimensions of Counter-Insurgency (Routledge, 2008). His research has appeared in several academic journals including Journal of Strategic Studies and International Peacekeeping. He has given evidence on counter-insurgency to the House of Commons defence committee.{{cite web | last=Thornton | first=Rod | date=February 2005 | title=British counter-insurgency operations in Iraq: Memorandum from Dr Rod Thornton, Joint Services Command College | publication-place=London | publisher=Defence Select Committee, House of Commons of the United Kingdom | url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmdfence/65/65we10.htm }}

{{further|Nottingham Two}}

In 2011 Thornton was the subject of a controversy over academic freedom when he was suspended from the University of Nottingham after publishing an article critical of the University of Nottingham's handling of the arrest of one of its students on terrorism charges (see Nottingham Two).{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/may/04/nottingham-university-row-after-lecturer-suspended|title=Row after university suspends lecturer who criticised way student was treated|work=The Guardian|date=4 May 2011 | first=Jeevan | last=Vasagar}} Thornton's paper – titled "Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities? : How a student's use of a library book became 'a major Islamist plot'" – was submitted for a conference on terrorism held by the British International Studies Association at the University of Manchester. It dealt with the case of Rizwaan Sabir who was arrested after being found in possession of several academic works available from the University library along with a digital copy of the Al-Qaeda Training Manual downloaded onto a University computer from a United States Department of Justice web site.{{r|Thornton 2011|p=8}} Among the assertions made in the paper is the allegation that Sabir was monitored by senior management and his marks lowered so he could not move on to a PhD. Numerous documents suggested to Thornton a systematic attempt to smear the character of Mr Yezza and Mr Sabir in order to justify the decision to call the police. Pages from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia concerning the case were also altered by individuals within the University.{{r|Thornton 2011|p=75}} The paper was removed from the BISA website,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-13294132|title=Nottingham University expert 'suspended' in terror row|work=BBC News|date=5 May 2011}} despite this the 112-page article is freely available to view online.{{cite conference | last=Thornton | first=Rod | date=April 2011 | title=Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities? : How a student's use of a library book became 'a major Islamist plot' | event=Critical Studies on Terrorism on Teaching About Terrorism panel at the British International Studies Association Conference, University of Manchester, April 2011 | via=Scribd | url=https://www.scribd.com/document/54771777/54150076-the-ARTICLE-Not-Ting-Ham-University-DOESN-T-WANT-YOU-to-READ-Radical-is-at-Ion-at-Universities-or-Radical-is-at-Ion-by-Universities-How-a-Stu }} Republished as {{citation | last=Thornton | first=Rod | editor-last=Sabir | editor-first=Rizwaan | date=11 June 2011 | title=Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities? : How a student's use of a library book became 'a major Islamist plot' | edition=SWAN & Unileaks | publication-place=UK | publisher=Support the Whistleblower At Nottingham | url=https://nottinghamwhistleblower.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/radicalisation-at-universities-or-radicalisation-by-universities-how-a-students-use-of-a-library-book-became-a-major-islamist-plot-unileaks-version.pdf }} Later BISA published an open letter expressing "a strong feeling of unease and concern" among members over the question of academic freedom raised by Thornton's case and called for an independent inquiry into the affair.{{cite magazine|last=Jump|first=Paul|title=Call for independent inquiry into suspension of Nottingham academic|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/call-for-independent-inquiry-into-suspension-of-nottingham-academic/416766.article?sectioncode=26&storycode=416766&c=1 |accessdate=8 May 2024|magazine=Times Higher Education|date=11 July 2011}}

In response to the controversy a spokesperson for the University stated that the paper contains "clearly defamatory" material about several members of University staff.{{r|Vasagar 2011}}{{cite news | url=http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/University-professor-suspended-terror-article-removed/story-12252023-detail/story.html | title=University professor 'suspended' as terror article removed | work=Nottingham Post | publisher=Northcliffe Media | date=5 May 2011 | first=Marcus | last=Boocock | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905071614/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/University-professor-suspended-terror-article-removed/story-12252023-detail/story.html | archive-date=2012-09-05}} Commenting on Thornton's case Cathy James, chief executive of the pro-whistleblowing charity Public Concern at Work, emphasized: "It's really important that whistleblowers are supported."{{cite news|last=Mark|first=Townsend|title=Nottingham University films students suspected of extremism|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jun/11/nottingham-university-secret-films-students|accessdate=19 Sep 2011 | newspaper=The Observer | publisher=Guardian Media Group | date=11 June 2011}} Despite this, senior management at the Nottingham University maintained the suspension of Thornton.{{r|BBC 2011}}

On 15 June the pressure group SWAN (Support the Whistleblower at Nottingham) in association with Unileaks published all of the internal and government documents referred in Thornton's paper.{{cite web | title=Support the Whistleblower At Nottingham | publication-place=UK | publisher=Support the Whistleblower At Nottingham | url=http://academicfreedom.co.uk/ | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623070531/http://academicfreedom.co.uk/ | archive-date=2011-06-23}}{{cite web | title=Nottingham University - The Case of the terror plot that wasn't - Rod Thornton and the Nottingham 2 | publication-place=Brunswick East, Victoria, Australia | publisher=Unileaks | url=http://www.unileaks.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15:nottingham-university&catid=8:oplss&Itemid=38 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617055702/http://www.unileaks.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15:nottingham-university&catid=8:oplss&Itemid=38 | archive-date=2011-06-17}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20111115134745/http://www.unileaks.org/node/Nottingham.htm 2011 archive]{{citation | author=Support the Whistleblower At Nottingham | date=16 June 2011 | title=Mini-digests of confidential documents published by Unileaks | publication-place=UK | publisher=Author | url=https://nottinghamwhistleblower.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/minidigests-download.pdf | access-date=8 May 2024}} An exclusive was given to The Observer which also asserted that students involved in activities related to the Palestine and the Middle East were being monitored and secretly filmed by the University.{{r|Townsend 2011}} Thornton had claimed in his paper that Middle Eastern themed events and protests had been suffered discriminatory treatment despite their peaceful nature. A video subsequently emerged appearing to support this claim,{{cite AV media | author=Nottswhistleblower | date=13 June 2011 | title=University of Nottingham protesters filmed by covert security staff | publication-place=UK | publisher=Support the Whistleblower At Nottingham | via=YouTube | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMO0fpINjyI}} and soon after another surfaced apparently showing security members destroying a Gaza memorial.{{cite AV media | date=June 2011 | via=YouTube | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ6HzRmMkyk | url-status=dead | title=Archived copy | access-date=28 November 2016 | archive-date=4 August 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804072455/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ6HzRmMkyk }} Thornton's paper also accused the University of being anti-Palestinian, citing the attempt by senior management to host the Israeli Ambassador for a 'public' talk without informing the student population.{{cite AV media | last=Hajaj | first=Nidal | date=10 November 2009 | title=Israeli Ambassador not welcome in Nottingham University | via=YouTube | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ZaodkULH4}} Later a letter signed by 167 staff, students and alumni appeared in the Observer supporting the claims made by Thornton.{{cite news | last1=Robarts | first1=John | last2=Norris | first2=Chris | last3=Shamsolmaali | first3=Roxana Carmen | display-authors=etal | date=June 2011 | title=Protest is not extremism | publication-place=UK | publisher=Support the Whistleblower at Nottingham | url=https://nottinghamwhistleblower.wordpress.com/media/alumni-letter-in-the-observer-protest-is-not-extremism/ | access-date=8 May 2024}} Republished as {{cite news | last1=Robarts | first1=John | last2=Norris | first2=Chris | last3=Shamsolmaali | first3=Roxana Carmen | author4=((164 others)) | title=Protest is not extremism | type=Letter to the editor | newspaper=The Observer | publisher=Guardian Media Group | date=26 June 2011 | page=42 | url=http://nottinghamwhistleblower.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/alumni-letter.jpg | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325161636/http://nottinghamwhistleblower.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/alumni-letter.jpg | archive-date=2012-03-25}} Also available from [https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/jun/26/letters-christians-have-their-say theguardian.com]. They added: "The arrests of two university members, Hicham Yezza and Rizwaan Sabir, in 2008 were not isolated incidents but, in our view, indicate an institutional culture of intolerance within university senior management."

In May 2011, The Guardian newspaper published a letter of support signed by 67 academics from around the world, including Noam Chomsky. This letter called for Thornton's reinstatement and an independent inquiry into his treatment by Nottingham University.{{cite news| last1=Chomsky | first1=Noam | last2=Gilroy | first2=Paul | last3=Nabulsi | first3=Karma | last4=Tripp | first4=Charles | display-authors=etal | url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/may/10/call-to-reinstate-terror-academci|title=Call to reinstate terror academic | type=Letter to the editor | work=The Guardian|date=9 May 2011}}

In March 2012 it was announced that Thornton was leaving his job as a lecturer at Nottingham, and that, "for his part, Dr Thornton accepts that the article which he published on the BISA website in April 2011 contained a number of inaccuracies."{{cite news|url=http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Lecturer-leaves-job-terror-arrests/story-15577091-detail/story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918101923/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Lecturer-leaves-job-terror-arrests/story-15577091-detail/story.html |url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-18|date=March 21, 2012 | title=Lecturer 'leaves job' over terror arrests|work=Nottingham Post | publisher=Northcliffe Media}} Thornton apologized for any offence he might have caused.{{r|Lowman 2012}}

Subsequently, Rizwaan Sabir completed his PhD and now works as a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University. In June 2014, at Sabir's request, the University of Nottingham held an inquiry into the marking of his MA dissertation which had led Thornton to write his BISA article. At this inquiry, where Thornton was present, it was found that the marking had, indeed, not followed procedures. Sabir was thus awarded the Merit mark for his MA in 2014 that he had not received in 2009.{{cite letter | last=Packer | first=Kate | title=Re: Academic appeal committee hearing outcome | recipient=Dr. Rizwaan Sabir | date=10 August 2015 | location=Nottingham, UK}}

• {{cite journal | last=Thornton | first=Rod | author-mask=1 | title=Military organizations and change: The 'professionalization' of the 76th Airborne Division | journal=The Journal of Slavic Military Studies | volume=17 | issue=3 | date=2004 | issn=1351-8046 | doi=10.1080/13518040490486151 | pages=449–474}}
• {{cite book | last=Thornton | first=Rod | author-mask=1 | date=2007-02-12 | title=Asymmetric warfare: Threat and response in the 21st century | publisher=Polity Press | publication-place=Cambridge, UK | isbn=978-0-7456-3365-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T1ZKVo8bKkkC}}
• {{cite journal | last=Thornton | first=Rod | author-mask=1 | title=Countering Arab insurgencies: The British experience | journal=Contemporary Security Policy | volume=28 | issue=1 | date=2007 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | issn=1352-3260 | doi=10.1080/13523260701240237 | pages=7–27}}
• {{cite journal | last=Thornton | first=Rod | author-mask=1 | title=Afghanistan: A war zone revisited | journal=International Studies Review | volume=11 | issue=2 | date=2009 | doi=10.1111/j.1468-2486.2009.00863.x | pages=389–390 | url=http://sinno.com/assets/oatw-review-in-international-studies-review.pdf}}
• {{cite report | last=Thornton | first=Rod | author-mask=1 | date=June 2011 | title=Military modernization and the Russian ground forces | publication-place=Carlisle, PA | publisher=Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College | isbn=978-1-58487-492-8 | oclc=1109542064 | url=https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/577/ | jstor=resrep11516 | jstor-access=free | id=[https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo8770 GPO 8770]}} Republished with modifications as {{cite journal | last=Thornton | first=Rod | author-mask=0 | date=2013 | title=Military modernization and the Russian ground forces | journal=Current Politics and Economics of Russia, Eastern and Central Europe | volume=28 | number=1 | publisher=Nova Science Publishers | pages=1–41 | issn=1057-2295 | url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/3d327d8591a18a5c1718e5ab878921c4 | url-access=subscription}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.ukh.ac/detailsArticls.php?ZID=1&CID=1&AID=1140 Academic bio]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100210031753/http://www.teachingterrorism.net/ Teaching about terrorism]}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Rod}}

Category:Living people

Category:Academics of the University of Nottingham

Category:British whistleblowers

Category:Scholars of terrorism

Category:Academics of King's College London

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)