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Thread: Studies on radicalization & comments

  1. #141
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default One man's journey away from radicalisation

    A short, fifteen minute radio interview of Hanif Qadir on his journey:http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...o_Hanif_Qadir/

    I have assumed the link will work beyond the UK.

    Hanif returned from Afghanistan to London and with his brother set up a youth club in a "hot-spot" Waltham Forest, Active Change Foundation:http://www.activechangefoundation.org/
    davidbfpo

  2. #142
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default How Young German Men Are Lured into Jihad

    Young Muslim men in Germany are systematically trying to recruit their peers for jihad using sophisticated rhetoric and psychology and by targeting vulnerable youths who are searching for direction in life. Two men who have quit the scene tell their story to SPIEGEL, providing a rare look into a dangerous underground.
    Link:http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-851393.html

    There are those who argue the group involved are not Jihadists:
    recruiting young men for the Hamburg branch of the Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir. The group has been banned in Germany since 2003, but its members are still active underground.
    Nevertheless an interesting read and one that is largely conducted in private and without any electronic communication.
    davidbfpo

  3. #143
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default US-Somali community & CVE

    A report published a few weeks ago 'Building Resilience to Violent Extremism Among Somali-Americans in Minneapolis-St. Paul'; link to summary:http://www.start.umd.edu/start/annou...ent.asp?id=406

    I found the context discovered via interviewing far more interesting than the models used, especially:
    A large epidemiological survey conducted in Minneapolis‐St.Paul in 2004 found that 37% of Somali women and 25% of Somali men had been tortured....Another study...found that nearly half of Somali mothers were torture survivors; more than a quarter had no formal education; and 70% were single parents..
    davidbfpo

  4. #144
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    Default War on Terror: Radicalization and Expansion of the Threats

    War on Terror: Radicalization and Expansion of the Threats

    Entry Excerpt:



    --------
    Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
    This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.

  5. #145
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default ICST (Pittsburgh) Project

    Just an outlive via Twitter 'Pathways, Processes, Roles and Factors for Terrorist Disengagement, Re-engagement and Recidivism':http://www.icst.psu.edu/docs/1.Outli...ng.Outline.pdf
    davidbfpo

  6. #146
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Countering Online Radicalization in America

    A new report:
    Over the past five months, we have studied dozens of cases and spoken to leading experts and policymakers. The result is an extensive report that will be released by the Bipartisan Policy Center on Tuesday. Our conclusion is clear: Online radicalization is here to stay, and future terrorist attacks against the homeland will involve individuals who have been radicalized — at least in part — on the Internet.

    The White House agrees with us. In its 2011 counter-radicalization strategy, it promised to "develop a ... comprehensive strategy for countering and preventing violent extremism online." One year later, however, this still hasn't happened, and our first recommendation is for the administration to complete its work, make the strategy public and begin its implementation.
    Link:http://www.politico.com/story/2012/1...84.html?hp=l10

    Link to the report:http://www.politico.com/story/2012/1...84.html?hp=l10

    I have skimmed through the report, which less than thirty pages; it has many good points and in places is IMHO rather weak.

    There is a touch of "Big Brother" in some of the recommendations and several assumptions that all our enemies use electronic communications. Not to overlook a No. 151 Footnote:
    To our knowledge, there has not been a single terrorism prosecution in the United States in recent years that has not relied, to a greater or lesser extent, on defendants’ personal electronic communications.
    davidbfpo

  7. #147
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Countering Radicalization in Europe

    A new, so far un-read ICSR report on four countries experience, namely UK, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark:
    Since the mid-2000s, European countries have developed counter-radicalization strategies, seeking to de-radicalize committed militants and preventing the radicalization of vulnerable populations. What do these strategies entail? Where do they differ, and what do they have in common? How successful have they been?.....the most comprehensive and systematic report to date about counter-radicalization policy and practice. It sums up the experiences of four European countries, outlines key challenges and areas of convergence, and describes the lessons that have been learned in this new area of policymaking.
    Link:http://icsr.info/2012/12/icsr-report...ion-in-europe/
    davidbfpo

  8. #148
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default US Strategy for CVE: An Assessment

    A short, excellent article; full title being 'U.S. Strategy for Countering Violent Extremism: An Assessment' by Clint Watts (aka CWOT) and Will McCants:http://www.fpri.org/articles/2012/12...ism-assessment

    They end with:
    we ask the U.S. government to take a hard look at the number of people who support terrorist groups. If their numbers are small and if their violent acts are few, a traditional law enforcement approach might be all that is required. We know that CVE is viewed by some as a more holistic approach to terrorism. But the downside of holistic approaches is that they can do a whole lot of harm and consume a disproportionate amount of resources. If CVE is required, identify sympathizers and supporters, select a limited set of actions, execute them through a few agencies and measure their effectiveness against defined objectives. Such measures might prevent a few people from pursuing a bad course in life, and if the measures fail, law enforcement knows what to do.
    Interesting to note how the UK experience in this field has had so much effect, a classic case of "selling" a bad product.
    davidbfpo

  9. #149
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCOp7nTTW1U

    Homegrown Radicalization -- How Data Analytics Can Help Prevent Terrorism

    Hat tip to David for passing the link above, which is a presentation given by Prof Peter Neuman on the radicalization process and where he thinks we should focus our efforts (it isn't root causes). An excellent overview on the radicalization process even you don't concur with his recommendations.

    We have spent a lot of money at home and abroad in support of CVE, and I think it is impossible to tell if it is working or not. We may have had major successes (stopping a few folks from conducting violent acts that would have been catastrophic), but how would we ever know?

  10. #150
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Leaving the cause behind

    Three ICST papers, not fully read:

    1) A scholarly journal article - In Their Own Words? Methodological Considerations in the Analysis of Terrorist Autobiographies by Mary Beth Altier, John Horgan, and Christian Thoroughgood:http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/vi...10&context=jss

    2) A short summary project outline, in two parts - Pathways, Processes, Roles and Factors for Terrorist Disengagement, Re-engagement and Recidivism by Altier & Horgan:http://www.icst.psu.edu/docs/2.Brief...ment.Brief.pdf and http://www.icst.psu.edu/docs/1.Outli...ng.Outline.pdf

    SWC have looked at disengagement in Afghanistan and Iraq under different titles, alongside a thread on leaving the Jihad. Good to see some academic rigour appearing, this is a very neglected area of policy and study.
    davidbfpo

  11. #151
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default A Digger's journey & rebound

    A curious article from a previously unknown blogsite, but one writer is known to me, so I followed a link to find this on an Australian convert who was radicalised:http://extremisproject.org/2013/01/t...ist-extremism/

    I use curious as only one person was interviewed.

    It concludes:
    Roche’s case also highlights that religion is not necessarily the primary motivator for violent extremism. Roche’s jihadist activities were less a result of his conversion and commitment to Islam and more a factor of his commitment to the group: it was not religious beliefs that prompted and sustained Roche’s level of activity but group loyalty and the personal benefits associated with group membership.

    Roche’s trajectory from ‘moderate’ Muslim convert to active JI member suggests that individuals are not necessarily predisposed to radicalisation by virtue of their religious beliefs. Rather, sustained exposure to extremist ideologies and close interaction with radical social groups are the key drivers of radicalisation.
    davidbfpo

  12. #152
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    Tend to agree, it is rarely about the cause, the man, or the ideology, but mostly about group identity. Soldiers, cops, gang members, and other groups with strong bonds should grasp this.

  13. #153
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default The Canadians add something

    Violent Canadian extremists are more likely to be citizens than immigrants, according to a “secret” study by the federal intelligence service. And these radicals tend to be relatively young and well-integrated members of society.

    These findings appear in “A Study of Radicalization: The Making of Islamist Extremists in Canada Today,” a 21-page study released to The Globe and Mail under the Access to Information Act.
    Link to CSIS paper (heavily redacted, more like reading an incomplete jigsaw):http://www.theglobeandmail.com/incom...dicals_001.pdf and press story:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle8149887/
    davidbfpo

  14. #154
    Council Member Bob's World's Avatar
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    #1 radicalizer of insurgents or terrorists? Government.

    Everything else is just lubrication and nudges to move those radicals in the direction of one organization or another.
    Robert C. Jones
    Intellectus Supra Scientia
    (Understanding is more important than Knowledge)

    "The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)

  15. #155
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    Did the government radicalize the KKK?

    You can't dismiss ethnic terrorism as simply poor governance.

  16. #156
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Moore View Post
    Did the government radicalize the KKK?

    You can't dismiss ethnic terrorism as simply poor governance.
    Ok, fair enough, let's explore this niche of "ethnic terrorism."

    Is this just pure racist violence for the sake of hate, or for some political purpose?

    I'm no expert on what the KKK is today, but I believe it began as a political movement among people who shared certain beliefs about the relative roles, abilities, etc between white people and black people.

    Or perhaps the persistent back and forth violence between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East? That undercurrent of cultural bias is there, but any of the organizations employing terrorist tactics that I am aware of do so for political purpose.

    Or the Catholics and Protestants in N. Ireland?

    Like religion, race can be a powerful unifying "ideology" for an insurgent movement.

    The world will always have hateful, violent, ignorant people in it. Sometimes those people are in government and organize governments around such concepts. Sometimes they are in organizations that oppose governments and employ terrorist tactics.

    But does one really "radicalize" a racist? Aren't they already radicalized by their very upbringing?

    Are there many groups conducting race-based violence solely for the purpose or race hating and not for a larger organizational purpose built around some profit or political purpose?

    Usually I see the term "radicalization" employed by those who support some system of governance to vilify those who oppose that same system.

    I am reminded of a George Carlan comedy routine where he was talking about driving. The speed of any driver is in their mind, the "proper" speed. And when one gets stuck behind someone driving slower they are "an idiot," or passed by someone driving faster they are "a maniac." Of course both the Idiot and the Manic think that it is they who are proper, and to the idiot you are a maniac, and to the manic you are an idiot. Most governments think they are governing at the proper speed, and equally see those different than them as some mix of idiots and maniacs.

    Obviously there are many exceptions, but by and large I stand by my assessment that the primary radicalizer of people is governments - after all, it is a label applied by governments thinking they are the ones who are right and the power and authority to deal with those who disagree as they see fit. Many governments deal with such people in a manner that serves to further "radicalize" them and the populaces they come from.

    Does anyone think drone strikes are raising feeling of good will toward American governance among the populaces subjected to such attacks? We don't need AQ operatives to "radicalize" people in places like Yemen or the Sahel, we do an outstanding job on our own.
    Last edited by Bob's World; 02-04-2013 at 02:57 PM.
    Robert C. Jones
    Intellectus Supra Scientia
    (Understanding is more important than Knowledge)

    "The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)

  17. #157
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Looking for knowledge start here

    A seventy page long Dutch report (in English) by Alex Schmid 'Radicalisation, De-Radicalisation, Counter-Radicalisation: A Conceptual Discussion and Literature Review'.

    In summary:
    Based on an in-depth literature review, ICCT Visiting Research Fellow Dr. Alex P. Schmid explores the terms ‘radicalisation’, ‘de-radicalisation’ and ‘counter-radicalisation’ and the discourses surrounding
    them. Much of the literature on radicalisation focuses on Islamist extremism and jihadist terrorism. This is also reflected in this Research Paper which explores the relationship between radicalisation, extremism and terrorism. Historically, ‘radicalism’ – contrary to ‘extremism’ – does not necessarily have negative connotations, nor is it a synonym for terrorism. Schmid argues that both extremism and radicalism can only be properly assessed in relation to what is mainstream political thought in a given period. The paper further explores what we know well and what we know less well about radicalisation. It proposes to explore radicalisation not only on the micro-level of ‘vulnerable individuals’ but also on the meso-level of the ‘radical milieu’ and the macro-level of ‘radicalising public opinion and political parties’. The author reconceptualises radicalisation as a process that can occur on both sides of conflict dyads and challenges several widespread assumptions. The final section examines various counter-radicalisation and deradicalisation programmes. It concludes with a series of policy recommendations.
    I went straight to the conclusion, which is worth reading and this point really need to be hammered home, hence my emphasis:
    ....a goal which has not been reached despite more than ten years of CT efforts, is the formulation of an effective counter-narrative to the single narrative of al-Qaeda and its affiliates which claim that Islam is under attack and defensive Jihad against the West is the obligation of every Muslim.
    Link:http://www.icct.nl/download/file/ICC...March-2013.pdf
    davidbfpo

  18. #158
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    This thread has posts on the official Saudi programme to de-radicalise and a clearly PR article by AFP appeared today:http://english.alarabiya.net/en/pers...militants.html

    Three key facts given:
    Just under 3,000 [Islamist prisoners] will have to go through one of these centers before they can be released....a total of 2,336 Al-Qaeda prisoners have now been through Saudi rehabilitation schemes....The percentage of those who rejoin the deviant minority does not exceed 10%.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 04-28-2013 at 12:32 PM. Reason: Copied here from Saudi Arabia thread
    davidbfpo

  19. #159
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default De-rad doesn't always work

    The effectiveness of official, state sponsored de-radicalization schemes is rarely in the public domain and even more so when it is Singapore, which has had a comprehensive scheme in place for the individuals, with family support:
    Susan Sim, noted security analyst from Singapore recently quoted the case of Yazid Sufaat, originally arrested and sentenced for harbouring two 9/11 hijackers in Malaysia prior to the actual attack. He was again arrested in February this year for recruiting Malayans for suicide missions in Syria although he was considered "rehabilitated" after his prison term.
    Link:http://www.sunday-guardian.com/analy...-hinder-terror
    davidbfpo

  20. #160
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default It takes more than a beard

    One of the better comments on the, assumed, radicalization of the two suspects by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross:http://thewasat.wordpress.com/2013/0...adicalization/

    Why this was written:
    I wanted to introduce these radicalization models because they will help us to think about the points that follow. But my goal in this entry is not to discuss the merits or shortcomings of existing radicalization models. Rather, I want to outline some aspects of this case that strike me as significant.
    This point is often lost in post-attack discussions:
    .. it is worth noting that there is a difference between someone holding extremist views and someone being likely to undertake violence.
    The author's own website:http://www.daveedgr.com/ and on Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daveed_Gartenstein-Ross
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 05-09-2013 at 10:25 AM. Reason: Copied from the Boston bombings thread.
    davidbfpo

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