CONNECTIONS The Quarterly Journal Volume V, Number 3 Winter 2006 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Sharyl N. Cross Countering Ideological Support for Extremism: Challenges and Implications........... 3 Carlton W. Fulford, Jr. The Question of De-legitimizing Terrorism De-legitimizing Religion as a Source of Identity-Based Security Threats in a Global World.............................................................................................................. 7 Mustafa Aydin Countering Ideological Support for Terrorism in Europe: Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir—Allies or Enemies? .................................................................. 19 Zeyno Baran Strategic Communication: An Integral Component of Counterinsurgency Operations................................................................................................................. 35 Fred T. Krawchuk “Hearts and Minds Dimension” of Countering Terrorism: Perspectives from Islam and Christianity Reaching Out to Muslim Clerics: Can We Build Bridges and Strengthen Moderate Voices in Islam? ....................................................................................... 51 Dalil Boubakeur Issues of Interpreting the Koran and Hadith............................................................. 57 Patrick Sookhdeo i THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL The Role of Interreligious Dialogue in Addressing Ideological Support for Terrorism: Roman Catholic Perspectives..................................................................83 Albert A. Agresti, S.J. Interdisciplinary Approaches to Countering Ideological Support for Terrorism Weapons of Mass Persuasion: Communicating Against Terrorist Ideology.............93 Steven R. Corman Statistical Analysis/Psychometric Modeling: Understanding and Influencing Societal Vulnerabilities to Terrorism......................................................................105 Dianne C. Barton and Patrick J. Barton The Terrorist Threat to the World Political System................................................115 Marina M. Lebedeva ii Introduction The Winter 2006 and supplement issues of Connections feature a collection of presen- tations and articles that were prepared as part of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies’ ongoing initiative to develop approaches for countering ideological support for terrorism. Through a series of conferences, courses, and re- search projects, the Marshall Center has sought to enlist the broadest possible partici- pation in terms of professional experience and regional representation in order to ex- plore the “hearts and minds” dimension of the overall global counterterrorism effort. Officials throughout the United States Department of Defense and the broader U.S. government’s interagency community have repeatedly acknowledged the central im- portance of the ideological aspect of the effort to counter the global terrorist threat, and have stated that winning the ideological battle is a crucial element of long-term suc- cess. At the same time, it is widely recognized that developing and coordinating effec- tive strategies to counter ideological support for terrorist movements across different cultural and geographic contexts will continue to present daunting challenges. Consistent with the mission of the Marshall Center, we have approached our inves- tigation of this issue by encouraging candid discussion that we hope will enhance ex- isting methods and capabilities to de-legitimize terrorism. We have created an interna- tional forum to promote dialogue between the defense communities of Western and Muslim countries committed to securing their societies against the threat posed by contemporary terrorist groups. This dialogue contributes to the cultivation of an inter- national network of counterterrorism professionals, all of whom share a determination to create a more secure world. This issue contains keynote presentations offered at both the Senior Executive Seminar (24 April–4 May 2006) and the Alumni Leadership Seminar (17–21 July 2006). We have included papers that were prepared for an OSD/SOLIC-funded con- ference, Countering Ideological Support for Terrorism (CIST)/Lessons Learned and Future Policy: Interdisciplinary, Theological, and International/Regional Perspec- tives, held at the Marshall Center in September 2006. The conference featured ex- changes of opinions, sharing of research findings, and discussion of actual practical experience in combating extremism among more than fifty participants, representing thirty countries from North America, Europe, Russia/Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The selected articles illustrate the broad scope and depth of dis- cussion that took place in the conference lectures and seminars. Topics included ex- ploring strategies for de-legitimizing terrorism; roles and responsibilities for traditional religions in promoting dialogue and conflict resolution; comparing approaches for countering religious extremist violence among several regional contexts/case studies; defining implications for international cooperation; policy; and assessment. This issue and its forthcoming supplement include studies by leading academics representing dif- ferent nations and disciplines as well as perspectives from policy analysts, counterter- rorism professionals, clerics, religious scholars, and leaders of both Islam and Christi- anity. 1 THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL It is our hope that this collection will help to advance discussion—both within the United States counterterrorism community and among our partners throughout the world—concerning ways to improve global strategies to defeat the ideologies that fuel terrorist violence. Sharyl N. Cross, Ph.D. Professor of National Security Studies George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies * The views expressed in the following collection of presentations and articles are those of the speakers and authors, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the U.S. European Command, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. 2 Countering Ideological Support for Extremism: Challenges and Implications Carlton W. Fulford, Jr. ∗ We cannot win the war against terrorism if we do not understand and deal with its ideological dimension. Nor can the West do this alone. Following the attacks on 11 September 2001, one of the principal questions asked in the United States about the Muslim world—one that has not yet been answered to my knowledge—is, “Why do they hate us so much?” Perhaps a relevant corollary is, “Why have we become, or al- lowed ourselves to become, the primary target of extremists?” Attempts to deal with this aspect of the war on terrorism have taken several names: for example, “countering ideological support for extremism” and “strategic communication.” But to my knowl- edge we have not yet satisfactorily understood “why they hate us so much,” and we still lack any effective strategy to deal with the issue of the ideology that motivates people to commit terrorist acts. That is why this conference is so important. You know the tenor of public senti- ment in your countries. You know how your citizens react to U.S. words and actions. We need to listen more before taking action. We also must realize that we are judged by what we do, not just by what we say. Our military men and women have successfully pursued a dynamic response to acts of terror. Each American looks with pride at the professionalism and sacrifice of our servicemen and -women in doing what soldiers should do—killing the bad guys and winning our nation’s wars. The non-kinetic aspect of the war on terror has proven to be a much more difficult task, and is clearly one in which soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines can assist, but they cannot accomplish it alone. Conferences like this promote knowledge and understanding, both of which are in sadly short supply. In the absence of knowledge and understanding, suspicion and mis- understanding take root. I firmly believe these two evils—suspicion and misunder- standing—are at the foundation of the hatred that exists in the Muslim world toward the West in general, and the United States in particular. We must also admit, however, that legitimate and sometimes contradictory national interests play a role in generating these conflicts, as does the manner in which different nations pursue these interests. We must learn about each other, recognize real diver- gences of interests, and manage them vigorously in order to avoid further polarization of disputes. The stakes involved in this dynamic are incredibly high and, to be sure, disengagement—letting parts of this world go down their own paths, or blithely hoping that they can exist in their own isolation—is simply not a possibility. Globalization is ∗ General Carlton W. Fulford, Jr., USMC (Ret.) is the Director of the Africa Center for Strate- gic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. This paper is drawn from his keynote address at the conference Countering Ideological Support for Terrorism: Oppor- tunities and Limitations in the Battle of Ideas, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, 17–21 July 2006. 3 THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL here to stay. It is not going away, and we must learn how to deal with it. Many com- munities in our world are intricately connected, and each needs the other: for our secu- rity, our prosperity, and our future. Islamic