U.S. Must Work to Prevent Radicalization

By Matthew Levitt

Writing in the Indianapolis Star, Tim Roemer and Lorne Craner, members of The Washington Institute's Presidential Task Force on Confronting the Ideology of Radical Extremism, highlight the need to focus not just on violent extremism but on the radical extremist ideologies that foster acts of violence. Here is an excerpt:

Radicalization is a process with identifiable stages that can be interrupted. Yet U.S. policy until now has been defined by an approach that focuses only on violent extremism -- and combating it through primarily military means. Far too little has been done in the 71/2 years after Sept. 11 to counter the ideology and prevent the still-nonviolent recruit from taking the final step toward detonation.

To break the radicalization cycle, the United States and its allies must engage in a competition of ideas for the would-be "radicalizer.'' The likely target is al-Qaida, with its global propaganda efforts, or influential but independent extremist clerics, or low-level recruiters. As in Iraq, cultivating such alternatives will require empowering mainstream Muslims in their efforts to provide hopeful, practical alternatives to jihadist ideology. It also will require substantial investment in rejuvenating efforts to encourage prosperity, reform and democracy in Arab countries.

Tim Roemer is president of the Center for National Policy and Lorne Craner is president of the International Republican Institute. Their comments are based on the research and finding of The Washington Institute Presidential Task Force Study Rewriting the Narrative: an Integrated Strategy for Counterradicalization. Their complete op-ed is available here.