Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Speaks at ICSR

On 27 November ICSR Atkin Fellow Amal Abusrour hosted a talk by Professor Manuel Hassassian, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The Ambassador spoke on possibilities for progress in the Israel-Palestine peace process, highlighting the structural and political challenges standing in the way of a breakthrough. He expressed some hope that the shift in Presidential administration in the United States would lead to a 'window of opportunity' for concrete progress, but conceded that much depended on domestic developments in Israel, which faces upcoming government elections itself. An informative question-and-answer session followed the talk

The ICSR Atkin Fellowship brings together young leaders from Israel and the Arab world to conduct research and work together in London. For more information see the 'Projects' page on the ICSR website.

Israel-Palestine: Prospectives for Peace

On 18 November ICSR Atkin Fellows Amal Abusrour and Yosef Kedmi spoke at King’s College London in a talk entitled ‘Israel-Palestine: Prospective for Peace.’ Speaking in their capacities as research fellows focusing on Arab-Israeli dialogue, Abusrour and Kedmi addressed a large audience of KCL War Studies students on the current state of political negotiations and prospects for a sustainable peace settlement in the future. Beyond giving summaries of the political situation from their own unique perspectives, the speakers addressed some of the most difficult negotiating points among the Israelis and Palestinians, including the right of refugee return and the creation of a Palestinian state along 1967 borders. In this sense the speakers illustrated the conflict between political points of view based in international law versus points of view based on internal political factors. A spirited discussion and question-answer session allowed for a variety of viewpoints to be heard.

Pakistan in Crisis: A Report from the North West Frontier Province

On 6 November Prof. Anatol Lieven, Chair of International Relations and Terrorism Studies at King’s College London, spoke at ICSR. Having recently returned from a six week visit to Pakistan in order to conduct research for his upcoming book, Lieven talked about his experiences and observations concerning the current situation in the North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Area. Lieven explained that the Taliban and other radical Islamists play a growing role in providing social services to the poor which, despite government crackdowns, has further increased their support and successful recruitment in Pakistan.

Penn hosts first in ICSR Seminar Series

On 17 October, ICSR Director Dr. Peter Neumann launched the ICSR seminar series at the University of Pennsylvania.  He gave a talk on Muslim radicalisation in Europe, outlining the dynamics of the problem as well as key differences between European countries. He emphasised the importance of understanding local context and warned against the temptation to generalize across regions. This led to an animated discussion among participants about European and U.S. experiences of radicalisation, as well as to the recognition of similarities and differences.  One particular area of contention was whether the U.S. model of integration was inherently superior in terms of reducing the potential for radicalisation in second generation immigrant communities. Future seminars at Penn will be held regularly.

ICSR hosts U.S. debates on Future of ‘War on Terror’

In mid-October, ICSR hosted a series of three panel discussions in the United States addressing the forthcoming presidential elections and the future of the ‘War on Terror’. Events were held at the Union and League Club in New York City, the MIT Faculty Club in Boston, and the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. Panellists included Richard Falkenrath, Prof. Sir Lawrence Freedman, Dr Marc Sageman, Dr Michael Levi, Prof Louise Richardson, Gen. Russell Howard, Daniel Benjamin, Nadia Bilbassy-Charters, and Michael Hurley. The debate in New York was filmed and can be watched here. 

The Wine of Violence: Non-Violent Political Struggle Examined

On 9 October Dr. Jack DuVall of the International Center on Nonviolent Confict spoke at the ICSR, presenting his view that nonviolent political struggle is more fundamentally effective as a political tool than armed struggle, terrorist actions, or physical coercion. Including a broad sweep of international examples, DuVall suggested that the 'intoxicating' allure of using violent means to achieve political ends is ultimately based on an irrational assumption that violence is the only tool that matters in gaining power. He noted the recent nonviolent revolutions in Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia as examples of an approach that involves indigenous political groups achieving change through peaceful means. 

  Iran's Role in the Middle East: Continuity and Change

Speaking as part the ICSR's look at radicalised regimes, Dr. Haim Koren, recently departed Director of Political Planning for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, presented an analysis of Iran's position in Middle East politics in the past and present. Koren presented an illuminating view of Middle East history, fitting in battles between Sunni and Shia Islam, regional and tribal rivalries in recent centuries, and global power politics in the present day. Speaking through his own experience as an Israeli diplomat, Koren suggested that Iran's motivations in seeking nuclear weapons and exerting control in Syria and Lebanon are part of a wider ambition of seeking Middle East hegemony, adding that cultivating a shared hostility toward Israel is a way for Iran to bypass many of the schisms between the Sunni/Shiite and Arab/Persian worlds. 

ICSR Hosts Panel of Experts on Deradicalisation

As a part of the ICT World Summit on Counter-Terrorism in Israel, ICSR hosted a workshop of leading experts on deradicalisation on September 11th 2008. The conference, hosted by ICSR founding partner ICT Herzliya, brought together leading minds to discuss various aspects of counter-terrorism policy at both regional and conceptual levels. The ICSR workshop panel included Magnus Ranstorp of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Royal Military College in Sweden, Shiraz Maher, a former UK organiser for the Hizb-ut Tahrir radical group turned journalist, and several other scholars and policy-makers, in a spirited session chaired by Dr. Neumann. 

Pathways to Jihad in Pakistan

On 26 August 2008 ICSR had the pleasure of inviting one of its own research fellows to speak. Laila Bokhari, ICSR Fellow and researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, shared the results of her first-hand research into radicalisation pathways in Pakistan between 2005-2008. Using her extensive interviews with dozens of Pakistani militants and former militants, Laila presented a narrative of Pakistan as a land shaped by several distinct 'Jihads' over recent decades. Her research suggests that the concept of Jihad has transcended many specific grievances and geographically limited conflicts to become a common cultural practice all its own. She offered a thought-provoking suggestion that Jihad has become ingrained in Pakistani youth culture as a right of passage, and is less beholden to one specific grievance than to a ritualised sense of adventure and manhood.

Seven Years After 9/11: Al-Qaida's Strengths and Vulnerabilities

At an August 21 ICSR media briefing in New York, Richard Barrett, Coordinator of the United Nations' Al-Qaida/Taliban Monitoring Team, presented his views on the status of Al Qaeda. Barrett outlined the conclusions of his paper 'Seven Years After 9/11: Al-Qaida's Strengths and Vulnerabilities,' published as part of the ICSR Future Actions Series, presenting a nuanced evaluation of the organisation's current ability to assert itself in the international arena. Barrett concluded that Al-Qaida is severely weakened internationally since 2001 but increasingly assertive in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area, offering several suggestions for further curtailing the organisation's strength.

Richard Barrett's paper is available for download or purchase here.

Terror and Consent - The Wars for the Twenty-First Century

Professor Philip Bobbit from the University of Texas-Austin spoke at ICSR on 25 July 2008 in a thought-provoking talk on the nature of terrorism and Western responses to terrorist actions. Bobbit argued that many fundamental approaches to terrorist activity in the twenty-first century were based on the thinking of the previous century, in which wars primarily took place between nation-states and lead to clear victories and defeats. In the current world, no such clarity is attainable and a war which seeks such outcomes can never be won. Bobbit urged his audience to rethink definitions of war and victory in terms of human rights, states of consent and the preservation of personal freedoms.

Atomic Terrorism - Assessing the Likelihood

John Mueller of the University of Ohio spoke at ICSR on 19 June 2008 about the likelihood of atomic terrorism, arguing that the threat from terrorists seeking to acquire a nuclear device has been exaggerated. He described the steps involved in carrying out the process of obtaining nuclear materials, and provocatively concluded that the likelihood was microscopic. This was followed by a lively discussion which weighed the pros and cons of Mueller’s argument. It also explored wider issues such as the threat from terrorism generally.

On 21 May, Daniel Kimmage of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty spoke at ICSR about his recently published study The Al-Qaeda Media Nexus.

Kimmage's study revealed that jihadist media increasingly emphasise a consistently 'branded' media product, using quasi-official media entities to advance their message. Such strategies not only serve to boost the credibility of media messages but also ensure a greater control over such messages by the organisation. Kimmage noted that only a fraction of jihadist media production is accounted for by the 'original' Al-Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden.

Kimmage's full report is available here.

High Level Panel Discusses Britain's National Security Strategy

ICSR convened a high-level panel to discuss Britain's first ever national security strategy the day after it was officially unveiled. It consisted of former Defence and Home Secretary Rt Hon John Reid, former Cabinet Office intelligence coordinator Sir David Omand, and Dr. John Gearson, Associate Fellow of ICSR.

At the ICSR event, all three speakers welcomed the idea of having a national security strategy. But there were sharp differences as to whether the present document satisfied the requirement for a coherent, long-term strategic vision. All agreed that the document was an important first step, and that it needed to be developed through systematic engagement with key stakeholders over the coming months. The ICSR event represented the foundation for this process.

On 13 November, ICSR and terrorism.opendemocracy.net hosted a roundtable discussion on the current situation in Pakistan. Prof. Anatol Lieven of King's College London set out different scenarios on how the ongoing ‘emergency' is likely to be resolved. The possibility of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of Islamist extremists was very slight, he said. The emergence of a genuine democracy, however, was equally unlikely. The discussion, which followed Prof. Lieven's introductory remarks, revolved around the position of the army in the current crisis as well as the roles played by various political actors in contemporary Pakistan. The discussion can be accessed via podcast at www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/podcast_pakistan.

Radicalisation: An American Perspective

The head of counter-terrorism at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Philip Mudd - pictured here with ICSR Director Peter Neumann - addressed an invited audience of journalists, students and academics in London on 6 November. Hosted by ICSR, the title of his talk was ‘Radicalisation - An American Perspective'.

Philip Mudd spoke about the evolving nature of the terrorist threat, and how security agencies have adapted to it. He took numerous questions from the audience, dealing with a wide range of issues, including the radicalisation of teenagers in Europe, the Western response to terrorism, and lessons to be learned from the European experience in countering radicalisation.

The Global State of Radicalisation was the title of two events, which took place at the Penn Club in New York on 17 October. Speakers included Harvey Rubin from the University of Pennsylvania, Sir Lawrence Freedman from King's College London, Peter Neumann, Director of ICSR, and Henry Sweetbaum, a founder of ISCR. Yasar Qatarneh of the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy and Boaz Ganor from the Interdiscplinary Center Herliya participated via video-link from Amman and Tel Aviv respectively.

The speakers provided accounts of the state of radicalisation in their respective countries, highlighting differences in perspective and some of the issues that everyone agreed should be addressed urgently. Questions dealt with the drivers of radicalisation as well as education and economic factors.

The two events also provided an opportunity to introduce ICSR to an influential New York audience. In particular, participants showed great interest in the projects which ICSR hopes to carry out in 2008.