Fighting terrorism with terrorists

Hi...sorry i realise this is a long post but i thought it would be interesting for some people. this is a summary (if you can call it that) from an article published in Jan 2008 by the LA times. I would love to hear comments and any views you might have on this issue. :smile:

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/06/opinion/op-kurlantzick6 - read for full article

Indonesia has faced the Bali Bombings and other terrorist attacks in the past. But today Indonesia is destroying its internal terrorist networks and winning the broader public battle against radicalism. And it has done so not only by cracking heads but by using a softer, innovative plan that employs former jihadis to wean radicals away from terror.
Basically they have captured most of Jemaa Islamia's top leaders, including the deputy commander who allegedly helped plan the Bali attacks.But if they really hoped to reduce the pool of possible new recruits for groups like Jemaah Islamiah, Indonesian leaders realized they had to win public support for their battle. Otherwise, police could arrest or kill hundreds of militants, and new radicals would just take their place.

To do this they used deradicalization:
the deradicalization initiative employs other militants -- former terrorist fighters or trainers. These are men like Nasir Abas, once a Jemaah Islamiah leader, who have sworn off most types of violence. Former fighters who agree to help the deradicalization program often receive incentives, such as reduced sentences or assistance for their families.The co-opted radicals are sent as advocates into Indonesian prisons, major breeding grounds of militants.
In the jails and other sites, they work to convince would-be terrorists that attacking civilians is not acceptable in Islam, to show that terror actually alienates average people from their religion, to suggest that the police are not anti-Islam and to exploit internal antagonisms within terror networks to turn militants against each other.
The deradicalization program already has delivered. According to a recent report by the independent, nonprofit International Crisis Group, the Indonesian plan has "persuaded about two dozen members of Jemaah Islamiah ... to cooperate with the police."

Deradicalization could work far beyond Southeast Asia. In 2004, Saudi Arabia launched its own version of deradicalization. Under the Saudi version, militants in jail who agree to undergo intense classroom sessions receive shorter sentences. The sessions are come combined with psychological deprogramming. The deprogramming resembles techniques used on cult members, and it also allows psychologists to assess whether militants are joining the deradicalization program just to be released and return to extremism.
Saudi officials say the program has been very successful. Major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia have plummeted compared with 2004. The Saudi plan also appears to have a broader regional impact. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, has said that the Saudi initiative may be one reason for the sharp decline in the number of foreign fighters coming into Iraq.

Reply 1

PeeWeeDan

Sounds encouraging but I doubt it will have wide reaching effects. Simply put Jihadists are generally too insane for logical arguments.

Reply 2

Aramiss18

its so long that I couldn't be bothered to read it. Shot yourself in the foot with such a long thread as far as I'm concerned.

Reply 3

aimz08

PeeWeeDan

Sounds encouraging but I doubt it will have wide reaching effects. Simply put Jihadists are generally too insane for logical arguments.

Is it not worth a try? It seems to have worked in Indonesia and Saudia Arabia so why not places like Pakistan. This way lives will be saved of those civilians who are everyday because of this ongoing war on terror. Why aren't other countries trying other approaches rather than killing civilians and creating more terrorists?

Reply 4

username236426

The best way to stop terrorism (in the west) in my opinion, is to leave the ruddy Middle East/South Asia alone. :yep:

If you trace your steps back to the root of the problem (the US getting involved), you can eradicate the problem by retracing your steps to avoid the root cause.

Reply 5

Howard

Sounds like a great idea. The British government should employ the IRA to kill some of Britain's muslim terror suspects.

Reply 6

PeeWeeDan

Topmanfaz

The best way to stop terrorism (in the west) in my opinion, is to leave the ruddy Middle East/South Asia alone. :yep:

If you trace your steps back to the root of the problem (the US getting involved), you can eradicate the problem by retracing your steps to avoid the root cause.

So to defeat a frankly evil ideology we should cave into all it's demands. Your wife is going to be a happy woman walking all over you.

Reply 7

aimz08

Topmanfaz

The best way to stop terrorism (in the west) in my opinion, is to leave the ruddy Middle East/South Asia alone. :yep:

If you trace your steps back to the root of the problem (the US getting involved), you can eradicate the problem by retracing your steps to avoid the root cause.

I get what you're saying but I dont think it will stop now by just the US leaving South Asia/Middle East alone. There has to be other methods too e.g. deradicalisation

Reply 8

username236426

PeeWeeDan

So to defeat a frankly evil ideology we should cave into all it's demands. Your wife is going to be a happy woman walking all over you.

Stop being a fool. Frankly evil ideaology?

-If you're referring to the religion of Islam, then you're just being a twit. Contradict me with some factual evidence, not the anecdotes of a rape victim in whats left of Baghdad (which has nothing to do with Islam)
-If you're referring to Islamism, then I agree; it is evil.

But PeeWeeDan, what caused the birth of Islamism? It can't be Islam (unless you want to shoot yourself in the foot by claiming the Quran is a spell book for a death cult). What can it be? :shifty:

aimz08

I get what you're saying but I dont think it will stop now by just the US leaving South Asia/Middle East alone. There has to be other methods too e.g. deradicalisation