Terrorist Rehabilitation: The U.S. Experience in Iraq

Because terrorists are made, not born, it is critically important to world peace that detainees and inmates influenced by violent ideology are deradicalized and rehabilitated back into society. Exploring the challenges in this formidable endeavor, Terrorist Rehabilitation: The U.S. Experience in Iraq demonstrates through the actual experiences of military personnel, defense contractors, and Iraqi nationals that deradicalization and rehabilitation programs can succeed and have the capability to positively impact thousands of would-be terrorists globally if utilized to their full capacity.

Custodial and community rehabilitation of terrorists and extremists is a new frontier in the fight against terrorism. This forward-thinking volume:

• Highlights the success of a rehabilitation program curriculum in Iraq
• Encourages individuals and governments to embrace rehabilitation as the next most logical step in fighting terrorism
• Examines the recent history of threat groups in Iraq
• Demonstrates where the U.S. went awry in its war effort, and the steps it took to correct the situation
• Describes religious, vocational training, education, creative expression, and Tanweer programs introduced to the detainee population
• Provides insight into future steps based on lessons learned from current rehabilitation programs

It is essential that we shift the focus from solely detainment and imprisonment to addressing the ideological mindset during prolonged incarceration. It is possible to effect an ideological transformation in detainees that qualifies them to be reclassified as no longer posing a security threat. This volume demonstrates that with the proper program and encouragement, a detainee’s misunderstanding or extremist ideology can be replaced with the principles of moderation, toleration, and coexistence.