Government
Rehabilitating Terrorists

Saudi government uses unconventional methods to fight extremism.

Following a number of deadly attacks in 2003, Saudi Arabia has begun to incorporate so-called “soft” measures into its counterterrorism efforts, including such tactics as providing psychiatric counseling to imprisoned jihadists.

These strategies are “designed to combat the intellectual and ideological justifications for violent extremism,” according to Christopher Boucek, former media analyst for the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. Because these methods address the underlying factors of extremism, they hold a distinct advantage over strong-arm approaches, Boucek notes in a paper for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The counseling program, for example, has been very effective in persuading former jihadists that the use of violence to bring about change is unacceptable

The apparent success of the Saudi program has inspired similar ones, such as the Religious Rehabilitation Group in Singapore. Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and even the U.S. military in Iraq have begun to employ these measures as well. The Saudis’ “soft” approach is divided into three stages: prevention, rehabilitation, and postrelease aftercare.

• Prevention. Prevention programs in Saudi schools educate students about the dangers of terrorism in much the same way that American school programs warn about the dangers of using recreational drugs. Students are encouraged to participate in writing contests and art competitions on the topic, and the government also supports other youth activities, including organized sports and athletic events. Such endeavors can lure children away from the ideological summer camps and religious retreats run by extremist groups.

“By some government estimates, about seven different activities aimed at reducing the tacit and implicit support for extremism occur each day at thousands of schools throughout the kingdom” — and at mosques as well, according to Boucek. The government has also launched public information campaigns that target all age groups as part of a broader effort.

• Rehabilitation. The counseling program for convicted jihadists is the cornerstone of the overall strategy.

Over the past few years, Boucek writes, “a comprehensive effort to rehabilitate and reeducate violent extremists and extremist sympathizers through intensive religious debates and psychological counseling” has been under way. Those recruited by terrorist groups often have little formal and religious education, and while in prison, they are encouraged to discuss and debate Islamic law with sheiks and scholars. This type of religious counseling seeks to correct the detainees’ interpretations of Islam through open dialogue. Currently, minor offenders (low-level support personnel and terrorist sympathizers promoting extremist views online, for example) are the most likely to participate.

• Aftercare. The jihadist recovery program begins in prison and continues at the Care Rehabilitation Center just outside the capital city of Riyadh. Here, former jihadists participate in a wide variety of activities ranging from Koranic studies class to art therapy. This is the transition point from prison to society: a place where the guards don’t wear uniforms and where there is 24-hour telephone access. A typical stay at the Center lasts eight to 12 weeks. Afterwards, the detainee begins the process of reentering society, and the government is there to monitor his progress and offer its continued support.

“Once an individual has satisfactorily renounced his previous beliefs, assistance is provided in locating a job, and receiving other benefits, including additional government stipends, a car, and an apartment,” Boucek reports. Authorities continue to meet with former detainees on a regular basis. If there seems to be something vaguely Orwellian brimming beneath the surface, then here’s one more thing to consider: “Success of the program … is based in part on the recognition that being radical is not inherently a bad thing. Acting on radical beliefs with violence, however, is, and that is the behavior that needs to be modified,” Boucek writes. — Aaron M. Cohen

Source: “Saudi Arabia’s ‘Soft’ Counterterrorism Strategy: Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare” by Christopher Boucek. Carnegie Papers. 2008. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Web site www.CarnegieEndowment.org .