The deradicalisation of terrorists

• Published in: Salus journal Vol. 1; no. 1; pp. 19 - 40
• Main Author: Jason-Leigh Striegher
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Charles Sturt University 01-01-2013
• Subjects: counterterrorism; deradicalisation; disengagement; Disengagement (Military science); Prevention; Radicals; Terrorism; violent extremism
• ISSN: 2202-5677; 2202-5677

Governments today tend to grapple with the development and implementation of deradicalisation programs; and as such, the results of such programs have led to varying degrees of success. The programs of three nation states - Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have been selected for discussion due to the diversity of programs used in these Islamic states. This study focuses on the distinction between disengagement and deradicalisation; and identifying and understanding the affects that push and pull factors potentially have to extricate identified terrorists from violent extremism. It also highlights Jack Roche as an example of someone that in general deradicalised himself as a result of push and pull factors. "If the development of terrorism is a product of its own time and place, it follows that issues of disengagement (and all that that implies) will also be context-specific and necessarily nuanced ... in terms of how the programmes are constructed, implemented, and promoted ..." (Horgan, 2008a: 7).