Dr. John Horgan on Counter-Radicalization
Yesterday Dr. John Horgan, Director of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism, gave a talk to the SRA Club about a visit he made to Saudi Arabia last month. His destination was a ‘deradicalization’ facility, and he was among one of the first groups of Americans to see it. Dr. Horgan has done extensive research on why terrorists walk away from terrorism. He emphasizes the point that disengagement is very different from deradicalization and that deradicalization is actually a misleading term for the process that is being played out when terrorists leave their movement. His speech was very eye opening and he had the members in attendance captivated.
Obviously, a lot of the pictures shown by Dr Horgan and some of the actual information gathered at the facility cannot be shared, but some of the lessons learned by the visiting delegation can be. Basically, Dr Horgan argues that in many ways the Saudis are streets ahead of us when it comes to counter-radicalization. The Saudis take a holistic approach to counter-terrorism, tackling the problem at multiple levels and on multiple fronts. In addition, the Saudi program goes so far as to claim a success rate at 80-90% for successful “rehabilitation” and reintegration into society. Several groups of ‘returnees’ from Guantanamo Bay have gone through this unique program that draws on Saudi traditions and religious figures, using religious debates and psychological counseling, to help ‘treat’ the participants. One of the key features of the program is that the family of the terrorists are looked after while the terrorist engages in the rehabilitation program. Research shows that al-Qaeda would move in to exploit the families’ hardship if such support was lacking. As part of the reintegration process for former terrorists, participants are encouraged to find a job and to settle down and start a family. Because of the emphasis on Saudi tradition and the non-radical interpretation of Islam, the program has been described as very much a Saudi solution to a Saudi program. The country has been experienced a wave of terrorist attacks in the last decade, and this facility was developed as a result. Around 3000 participants have come through the program, with only 40 being re-arrested for security offenses.
What did Dr. Horgan learn? He said that there is a great need to help develop a framework for evaluating the progress of the program so that it may be supported and enhanced and possibly developed elsewhere. In addition, he argued that there is an urgent need to learn more about terrorist recidivism. He stressed that there is a need for greater clarity on some basic terminology, and strongly suggested that the word “de-radicalization” was not particularly helpful and led to unrealistic expectations about what was possible from such programs. Dr. Horgan argued that we also urgently need to develop a comprehensive Risk Assessment framework, something I am learning about in SRA 311. Finally, he, and many of those he accompanied during his trip to Saudi Arabia, reiterated the need for a detainee and returnee policy, not only for those being relocated from Guantanamo Bay but from other sites around the world where detainees are being held.
Dr. Horgan’s presentation really opened my eyes. I am extremely interested in whether or not a methodology for deradicalization will be developed for facilities like this. A step-by-step method to evaluate participants before they come in, when they are in, and after they leave would be extremely beneficial if the US desires to catch up with the Saudis and create a facility such as this one.
