Fighting Terror

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to co-authors of Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of Qanon Dr. Sophia Moskalenko and Dr. Mia Bloom. Sophia is a psychologist studying mass identity, inter-group conflict, and conspiracy theories. She has written several books, including the award-winning Friction: How Conflict Radicalizes Them and Us. Mia is a fellow with New America's International Security program and professor of communication and Middle East studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She has authored books on violent extremism including Small Arms: Children and Terrorism.

In the context of increasing sociopolitical polarization, conspiracy theories and mis- and disinformation play in meaning-making,  Dr. Sophia Moskalenko and Dr. Mia Bloom will discuss how coping mechanisms can affect the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist offenders.

For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:
https://4rnetwork.org/

You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:
https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today’s episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to Sofia Koller and Jorgos Sotiriadis. Sofia is a Senior Research Analyst at the CEP Berlin office. Her research focuses on the prosecution, reintegration, rehabilitation of returned foreign fighters into European states, specifically female offenders.  Jorgos Sotiriadis is a consultant in the Working Group on Strategies of Prevention and Countering Islamist Extremism at the Berlin Senate Department of Interior Affairs, Digital Transformation and Sports. He is also the Head of Office of Deradicalisation Network, the DeRadNet, in Germany, which is a body that coordinates distancing and exit work in the field of security related Islamist extremism across departments and authorities.

In this episode, Sofia and Jorgos will speak on German efforts to coordinate P/CVE activities between law enforcement and civil society organizations and how this networked approach can facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist offenders, including female offenders.

For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:
https://4rnetwork.org/

You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:
https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today’s second episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks with Ian Acheson, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project. Ian has long been involved in prison security and counter-terrorism. In 1994, he joined Her Majesty’s Prison Service as a prison officer, rising rapidly to governor rank. In 2015, Ian led an independent review of Islamist extremism in prisons and probation in the UK. He has extensive involvement in operational command of serious prison incidents, hostage negotiation, and counter-terrorism policy and practice.

In this episode, Ian will pull from his experience and expertise in the tactical and strategic management of violent extremism in UK correctional settings and community to deliver a training that covers monitoring in correctional settings and the importance of connecting in-prison programming to coordinated post-release care.

For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:
https://4rnetwork.org/

You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:
https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's first episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to Juncal, Programme Manager at the Counter Extremism Project and Co-founder of Parallel Networks (PN), a non-profit organisation dedicated to combating polarization, hate and extremism.

Juncal has gained professional experience researching conflicts, forced migrations, organized crime and security. Her research has developed through collaboration in projects with institutions like Georgetown University, Comillas ICADE (Madrid), the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and UNICEF. She also gained hands-on experience in peacebuilding while in Latin America and Africa, where she provided psychosocial support to internally displaced populations and other victims of extremism and violence in post-conflict settings.

In this episode, Juncal will cover the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremism offenders in the United States and explain the goal and objectives of the 4R Network, based on the understanding that rehabilitation and reintegration requires a whole-of-society approach.

For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:
https://4rnetwork.org/

You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:
https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

Last week, various media outlets were reporting that the German government has formally taken a decision to start the withdrawal of troops, which are stationed in Mali for the UN peacekeeping mission. Germany is not alone amongst its EU partners in making this call. What does this mean for extremism and terrorism in the wider Sahel region and what does this mean for the future of Mali?

In this breaking news episode, Lucinda Creighton speaks with Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project. From 2001 until 2005, Hans headed the federal government of Germany's team investigating al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. Between 2005 and 2011, Hans held the position of First Secretary Political Affairs and Liaison to the Security Forces at the German Embassy in Tehran. Acting as a special advisor to the ambassador, he led the embassy's crisis management team during the 2006 and 2009/10 disturbances in Iran.

A term that has become a ubiquitous part of public discourse on terrorism and radical Islam ever since the rise of al Qaeda and ISIL/Da'esh back in 2014/15 is the term jihad. In today’s last episode of the miniseries on Eye on Islamism, we will shift gear and focus on the current threat of jihadism and its potential evolution.

In this episode, Lucinda Creighton speaks with Liam Duffy who is a strategic advisor for the Counter Extremism Project based in the United Kingdom. He is a regular contributor for UnHerd on extremism, and has written on the subject for The Spectator, The Times Educational Supplement, The Jewish Chronicle, and CapX, among others. Liam is also a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar

On Tuesday this week, the Dutch Cabinet confirmed that twelve Dutch women were picked up in Syria and will be transported to the Netherlands where they will be taken into custody for crimes related to terrorism offenses. What is the process of repatriating female IS members and the potential challenges that may arrive when prosecuting such returnees? Why is there so much reluctance on behalf of European capitals to repatriate foreign fighters? How should the risk of returning foreign fighters be managed and can we learn from best practices? What are some of your recommendations for policymakers and security agencies?

In this breaking news episode, Lucinda Creighton speaks with Sofia Koller, a Senior Research Analyst at CEP. She also supports the European Commission’s Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN) and the Council of Europe as an expert. From 2018 to 2021 she was a research fellow at the German Society for Foreign Relations (DGAP) where she led the International Forum for Expert Exchange on Countering Islamist Extremism (InFoEx) in the field of distancing work.

Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is that country’s oldest Islamist organization and has branches throughout the world. While these branches operate under a variety of names and use a variety of social, political, and occasionally violent methods, they share a commitment to the overarching goal of establishing rule according to sharia. The third episode in our miniseries on Islamism will explore the Muslim Brotherhood and associated groups in the West.

In this episode, Lucinda Creighton talks to Dr. Lorenzo Vidino who is the Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. An expert on Islamism in Europe and North America, his research over the past 20 years has focused on the mobilization dynamics of jihadist networks in the West; governmental counter-radicalization policies; and the activities of Muslim Brotherhood-inspired organizations in the West.

Academic reflection on Islam started in the early 1960s in Europe. It began as a phenomenon linked to migration dynamics when Europe witnessed many migrant populations settling in at that time. More than 4 decades later, this reflection has had to confront new approaches that frequently tend to associate Islam with immigration or violence, especially after jihadist attacks, which have taken place on European soil. The second episode in our mini-series on Islamism will focus on Islam and terrorism in the West by exploring different aspects, including political Islam and Islamist terrorism.

In this episode, Lucinda Creighton talks to Moussa Bourekba, who is a research fellow at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs where he focuses on international relations in the MENA region, democratisation processes in North Africa, Arab youth, and violent extremism in Europe and North Africa. His research also covers Islamophobia in Western countries. Moussa is also an adjunct professor at Blanquerna Faculty of Communication and International Relations at the University of Barcelona where he teaches international relations in the MENA region, violent radicalisation, and P/CVE policies.

“What is Islamism? Are there any overlaps between the religion Islam and the term Islamism? Who are the Islamists and how do they view the West? What constitutes a good policy response to Islamism? The first podcast episode in our mini-series on Islamism will explore what the term Islamism means and how to respond to the Islamist challenge.

In this conceptual episode Lucinda Creighton talks to Sir John Jenkins, a former British diplomat and currently a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange. Sir John Jenkins has enjoyed a 35 year career in the British Diplomatic Service where he has lived and worked in several countries in the Middle East, such as Kuwait, Malaysia, and the UAE. Amongst other things, he was the director for the Middle East and North Africa in the Foreign Office in London from 2007 to 2009 and was asked to be the lead author of the British Government’s Muslim Brotherhood Review in 2014.”