The IDC

“THE WAR ON TERROR HAS AFFECTED AL-QAEDA AND REDUCED ITS OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY,
WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT HAS CHANGED FROM AN ORGANIZATION TO A BRAND OR
IDEOLOGY” - Dr. Col. (Ret.) Eitan Azani, deputy director of ICT
William Banks noted that closing Guantanamo has become one piece
of one big security puzzle that the Obama Administration is trying to
reshape. There are still many legal challenges before the right policy and
legal structure is achieved.
Adv. Shai Nitzan, deputy state attorney for Special Affairs, recommended
that more people learn about Israeli law. One main problem in fighting
terrorism in Israel is handling terrorist detainees. Often, evidence is
inadmissible and cannot be disclosed to the detainee since it would
endanger security forces. In such cases, should the suspect be released or
be detained even though he cannot be prosecuted? The US and other states
face the very same dilemma.
The panel of the opening plenary session of the 2009
ICT conference, from left: Prof. Alex Mintz, dean of
the Lauder School; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Moshe Yaalon,
deputy prime minister and minister of Strategic
Affairs; Mr. Dan Meridor, deputy prime minister
and minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy;
and Dr Yaron Zalika, former accountant general,
Ministry of Finance, Israel
Imprisonment of terrorists forms a contentious issue within democratic
societies, and raises questions such as whether the prison system
rehabilitates or radicalizes terrorists. Gen. (Ret.) Orit Adato, former
commissioner of the Israeli Prison Service, chaired the session on prison as
a component in terror cycle with both inherent risks and opportunities. Dr.
Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence
and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,
discussed the rehabilitation of detainees as a growing program in Singapore.
He noted four types of rehabilitation, the most effective of which takes on
detainees committed to Islam and uses mainstream Muslim clerics. Dr.
Mark Hamm, professor of Criminology, Indiana State University, reviewed
a study he conducted for the National Institute of Justice, which showed
that prisoners who convert to non Judeo-Christian religions are more
prone to be candidates to radicalization.
9th AnnuAl ict cOnference
TERROR IDEOLOGIES AND MODUS OPERANDI
Dr. Col. (Ret.) Eitan Azani, deputy director of ICT, pointed out that the
war on terror has affected al-Qaeda and reduced its operational capability,
with the possibility that it has changed from an organization to a brand
or ideology. However, the true situation is more complex and involves al-
Qaeda’s network of organizational resources, fundraising and recruitment.
The year 2009 was one of rehabilitation for al-Qaeda, with intensified
recruitment efforts around world to training camps in the Af-Pak region.
Col. Behran Sahukar, research fellow, United Service Institute, India,
noted that recent terror attacks in India have been linked to global jihad
operations including plots in London and bombing a nuclear plant in
Panelists on the topic: “How does an Extreme Ideology from 100 years Ago Influence our Life Today?
The Muslim Brotherhood and US.” From left: Dr. Yoram Kahati, research fellow, ICT, IDC Herzliya and
deputy director, Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Israel; Dr. Yuri Byaly, vice president
for Research, Experimental Creativity Center; Mr. Steve Merley, senior analyst, NEFA Foundation,
USA; Mr. Ronald Sandee, director of Analysis and Research, NEFA Foundation, USA; and Mr. Reuven
Paz, director, Project for the Research of Islamist Movements (PRISM), Gloria Center, IDC Herzliya
“TERRORISM IS JUST ONE FORM OF
JIHAD AS AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING IDEOLOGY”
- Dr. Col. (Res.) Shaul Shay, head of Security Policy Division, National Security Council and senior research fellow, ICT
Australia. Attacks have united Indians of all religions against the common
enemy of Islamist terrorism, he said, noting that Indian Muslims refused to
bury the Mumbai attackers in a Muslim cemetery. The recent events have
made an impact on India-Israel strategic ties, Sahukar continued, involving
closer cooperation on security/counter-terrorism through perceptions and
priorities guided by national interests and values.
Prof. Gabriel Weinman, Department of Communications, University
of Haifa, pointed to the increased focus on cyber space within jihad
movements, which his project has monitored for 11 successive years, on
over 7,000 websites. Dr. Col. (Res.) Shaul Shay, head of Security Policy
Division, National Security Council and senior research fellow, ICT,
restated that terrorism is just one form of jihad as an all-encompassing
ideology, noting that we have to understand that the real name of the game
is a war over the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world, above and
IDC Winter 2010 > 63