In the past few years, the MENA region witnessed a rise in jihadist extremism and radicalization, as countries in the area were rocked by a series of deadly terrorist attacks. As authorities responded to the threat, it became clear that in order to effectively counter the phenomenon, traditional repressive measures had to now be accompanied by alternative methods of prevention, rehabilitation and dissuasion. How have different governments around the Mediterranean responded? What sort of alternative measures have been taken? How effective have these policies been? What further steps can be taken to strengthen the response of the authorities? These are just some of the key issues that this ISPI Report seeks to cover. The experts in this volume illustrate the policies of contrast, prevention and de-radicalization that have been adopted by countries in the MENA region, revealing emerging trends, lessons learned and overviews of this security status.

This book is the first detailed study of the causes of de-radicalization in armed Islamist movements. It is based on frontline research that includes interviews with Jihadist leaders, mid-ranking commanders, and young sympathizers, as well as former security and intelligence officers and state officials. Additionally, it is also the first book to analyze the particular conditions under which successful de-radicalization can take place. The current literature on Islamist movements attempts to explain two principal issues: their support of violence (radicalization) and their changing a.

In this groundbreaking book, Ilham Khuri-Makdisi establishes the existence of a special radical trajectory spanning four continents and linking Beirut, Cairo, and Alexandria between 1860 and 1914. She shows that socialist and anarchist ideas were regularly discussed, disseminated, and reworked among intellectuals, workers, dramatists, Egyptians, Ottoman Syrians, ethnic Italians, Greeks, and many others in these cities. In situating the Middle East within the context of world history, Khuri-Makdisi challenges nationalist and elite narratives of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern history as well as Eurocentric ideas about global radical movements. The book demonstrates that these radical trajectories played a fundamental role in shaping societies throughout the world and offers a powerful rethinking of Ottoman intellectual and social history.

This accessible new book looks at how and why individuals leave terrorist movements, and considers the lessons and implications that emerge from this process. Focusing on the tipping points for disengagement from groups such as Al Qaeda, the IRA and the UVF, this volume is informed by the dramatic and sometimes extraordinary accounts that the terrorists themselves offered to the author about why they left terrorism behind. The book examines three major issues: what we currently know about de-radicalisation and disengagement how discussions with terrorists about their experiences of disengagement can show how exit routes come about, and how they then fare as ‘ex-terrorists’ away from the structures that protected them what the implications of these findings are for law-enforcement officers, policy-makers and civil society on a global scale. Concluding with a series of thought-provoking yet controversial suggestions for future efforts at controlling terrorist behaviour, Walking Away From Terrorism provides an comprehensive introduction to disengagement and de-radicalisation and offers policymakers a series of considerations for the development of counter-radicalization and de-radicalisation processes. This book will be essential reading for students of terrorism and political violence, war and conflict studies, security studies and political psychology. John Horgan is Director of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism at the Pennsylvania State University. He is one of the world's leading experts on terrorist psychology, and has authored over 50 publications in this field; recent books include the The Psychology of Terrorism (Routledge 2005) and Leaving Terrorism Behind (co-edited, Routledge 2008)

Although violent extremism is not a new phenomenon, it is increasingly recognized as a major challenge of our times. The recruitment of foreign fighters by extremist organizations, and its potential impact on public safety in the countries from which they come, is also emerging as a complex issue at the forefront of international preoccupations. This book presents the proceedings of the three day NATO Advanced Research Workshop, "Countering Violent Extremism Among Youth to Prevent Terrorism", held in Milan, Italy, in June 2014. The best way to respond to violent extremism in general, and the radicalization of disaffected youth in particular, is far from clear, but the stakes are so high and the potential threat to countries worldwide so great that inaction is not an option. The goal of the workshop was to enhance the capacity of policymakers and practitioners to design strategies that will achieve verifiable human-rights based outcomes to counter violent extremism. Subjects covered in the 19 papers which go to make up this book include: the causes or drivers of violent extremism; the factors which facilitate the recruitment of youth by violent extremist groups; the risk of growing Islamophobia in some Western and Central European countries; and proactive measures to counter the radicalization of youth. The book will be of interest to all those involved in policy development, prevention programs, de-radicalization programs or research aimed at countering violent extremism and the radicalization of young people.

Ce Liber Amicorum, qui rend hommage à Gilles de Kerchove, coordinateur de l’Union européenne pour la lutte contre le terrorisme de 2007 à 2021, dresse le bilan de ce qui a été mené dans ce secteur ces dernières années et se penche également sur les défis à venir. Après une introduction retraçant le parcours du récipiendaire, la première partie se penche sur différents aspects de la coopération au sein de l’Union européenne, allant du mandat d’arrêt européen, à la protection des droits fondamentaux en passant par le rôle de certaines institutions ou agences de l’UE. La deuxième partie traite de la coopération entre l’UE et le reste du monde, qu’il s’agisse d’organisations mondiales ou de certains États en particulier, comme les États-Unis. La troisième partie, plus transversale, rassemble des contributions diverses touchant notamment à l’État islamique, au financement du terrorisme, aux victimes et aux nouvelles technologies. L’ouvrage se clôt par une quatrième partie relative à la prévention, à la lutte contre la radicalisation, aux valeurs, à la liberté de la presse et à la littérature. Les auteurs, issus de diverses parties du monde, présentent des profils très divers, parmi lesquels d’éminentes figures politiques, des fonctionnaires européens, des académiques, des magistrats et des journalistes. L’ouvrage a été coordonné par Dr. Christiane Höhn, Conseillère principale de Gilles de Kerchove, Isabel Saavedra, son Assistante personnelle et Prof. Anne Weyembergh, Professeur ordinaire à l’Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). * * * This Liber Amicorum, which pays tribute to Gilles de Kerchove, EU counter-terrorism coordinator from 2007 to 2021, takes stock of what has been achieved in this field in recent years and looks at the challenges ahead. After an introduction tracing the recipient’s background, the first part looks at different aspects of cooperation within the European Union, ranging from the European arrest warrant, to the protection of fundamental rights and the role of certain EU institutions or agencies. The second part deals with cooperation between the EU and the rest of the world, both with global organisations and with specific States, such as the United States. The third, cross-cutting part brings together various contributions relating to the Islamic State, the financing of terrorism, victims and new technologies. The book concludes with a fourth part on prevention, the fight against radicalisation, values, freedom of the press and literature. The authors come from various parts of the world and present a wide range of profiles, including prominent political figures, EU officials, academics, magistrates and journalists. The book was coordinated by Dr. Christiane Höhn, Principal Advisor to Gilles de Kerchove, Isabel Saavedra, his Personal Assistant and Prof. Anne Weyembergh, Professor at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).