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Remarks by

Raphael F. Perl, Head of the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit*


Before the
Third International Forum on Information Security and Combating Terrorism
20-23 April, Garmish-Partenkirchen


Plenary Session

"Scientific and Educational Programs for Information Security and
Countering Terrorism Ideology"


Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is a pleasure for me to address this distinguished forum, for the second
time now, and I thank the organizers for this opportunity. I would also
like, on behalf of the OSCE, to warmly congratulate Academician Sadovnichy
on his 70th birthday.

This session focuses on what I think is a necessary, but also critical
dimension in the fight against terrorism in the long run. A dimension that,
arguably, has so far not received the attention it deserves, namely: the
role of research and education in fighting the spread of terrorist ideology
and enhancing information security.

In fighting the spread of terrorist ideology, I suggest that research and
education are two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, research is
essential to better understand the ideological underpinnings of terrorism
and radicalization processes. On the other hand, education is essential to
counter, at the level of ideas and attitudes, the spread of violent
extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism.

Likewise with respect to cyber security; research is essential to better
understand the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes as well as
terrorist and other criminal threats to cyberspace. On the other hand,
education is essential to raise awareness of these threats and to enhance
the ability of information technology users to protect themselves and their
networks.

In both these areas - research and education - international co-operation
and public-private partnerships are instrumental. The initiative of the
Moscow State University to bring us together in this forum is I think an
excellent example of how to move forward. Countries need to exchange
information, good practices, and they need to pool resources into joint
projects. Countries need to draw on the expertise and comparative
advantages of all stakeholders, from the public and the private sectors.
This is indispensable to effectively utilize limited resources and to
maximize the impact of countries' efforts.

Last year, as some of you may recall, I spoke extensively before this forum
on the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. So, what I thought I
would do today is to first focus on violent extremism and the role of
ideology in terrorism. I will then give a few thoughts on what I believe
countries should be focusing on in the fight against terrorism. And in this
regard, I will elaborate in particular on the need to address the factors
conducive to terrorism and the need to effectively engage in the so-called
"battle for the hearts and minds". To conclude, I will make some concrete
suggestions about what kind of research we need and what kind of
educational programmes we should develop to address the spread of terrorist
ideology and to enhance cyber security.

Violent Extremism and the Role of Ideology in Terrorism

The notion of terrorist ideology usually refers to a set of beliefs and
attitudes that justifies indiscriminate violence aimed at innocent people
or at causing serious damage to the economy or environment. This set of
ideas incites to or at least condones such violence as a legitimate course
of action. Arguably, some ideas considered on their own might be
acceptable, and have merit to varying degree, be they of political,
religious or other nature. But the issue here is violence. The advocacy or
acceptance of such indiscriminate violence suffices to pervert and turn
ideas into terrorist ideology, or what we call within the OSCE context
"violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism".

Ideology can potentially play different roles in the context of terrorism.
Ideology can provide an appeal and motivate individuals to become
terrorists. It inspires the narrative used to radicalize and recruit
individuals and to overcome their inhibition towards violence. Ideology can
be the cement that holds a group together and can create bridges among like-
minded groups. Ideology can leverage community support and secure other
sympathies that terrorists can rely on.

I must highlight here of course the key role played by the Internet in
facilitating the dissemination of terrorist propaganda, the indoctrination
of followers, and the recruitment of new operatives. The Internet is user
blind and, as we know, it has become a strategic tool for terrorists and
their supporters. But this has already been extensively discussed in this
and other fora, so allow me to proceed to my next point.

Terrorism cannot be reduced to a particular ideology. We cannot paint
terrorism with a single colour. No single ideology has the monopoly over
the use of terrorist tactics. And the importance of ideology as a factor of
support for terrorism varies across countries, across communities and often
from one individual to the other. Some terrorists are motivated by money as
much as politics, others, indeed, rather by social ideology or perverse
interpretations of religion.

But in my view, the greatest threat today comes from violent extremist
ideologies; ideologies whose rationales reject peaceful coexistence,
tolerance and compromise, in favor of intolerance and violence. And in my
view, a significant incubator of terrorism has been the indoctrination of
parts of the youth around the world with violent extremist dogmas. I would
like to stress here that the OSCE does not identify any cultural, religious
or ethnic group with specific terrorist movements. However, there is a
consensus on the predominant threat that Al Qaeda-inspired groups pose to
the OSCE region and beyond. And it is our view that this particular brand
of terrorism is based on a perversely abusive interpretation of Islam.

But let me come back to the bottom line. Regardless of its possible
ideological outlook, regardless of its origin and purpose, terrorism boils
down to indiscriminate violence aimed at innocent people or at causing
serious damage to the economy or environment. And we need to combat this
acceptance of violence, together with the other pervasive attitudes
facilitating and incubating a terrorist mentality such as intolerance and
hatred.

There is no mystery here. We know for example that young American people in
previous generations were indoctrinated into racism, with terrible acts
against the targets of their hatred, which in that case were minority
groups. It was only when education of the young was completely transformed
to accept diversity gladly, not just grudgingly, that progress was made.

So countering terrorism in the long run requires discrediting the use of
indiscriminate violence as an option to solve one's grievances or to pursue
one's goals. This requires research to better understand and challenge the
ideological justifications of terror and to better understand the processes
of radicalization and recruitment. This also requires us to fully draw on
education to combat hatred and intolerance, as well as to promote non-
violence, mutual respect, and civic empowerment.
A Three-Pronged Strategic Approach to Managing Terrorism

I think that today and in the near future, terrorist attacks are
unavoidable. This is the unfortunate reality we must deal with. And in the
face of this reality, addressing radicalization and the ideological
dimension of terror is part of a three-pronged approach that I suggest
countries should be following to sensibly manage terrorism related risks in
the medium/long term.

Terrorism has long since become a self-sustaining process; tipping points
have already been reached and passed in its formation. And in a futile
attempt to secure everyone and everything, at all times, in all places, we
risk not only financial exhaustion, but also societal paranoia and erosion
of human rights and civil liberties, polarization of communities,
intolerance and racism. This is precisely what the terrorists seek to
achieve.

Therefore, I would like to urge, in our efforts, a strategic emphasis on
three areas. I would like to urge improved crisis management and recovery
capacity; enhanced diplomacy and international co-operation; as well as
increased preventive measures to quell terrorist recruitment.

Enhancing Preparedness

A reasonable approach to dealing with inevitable attacks - as we cannot
prevent them all - is to prepare for them as best we can, in order to
reduce the magnitude of damage when they occur. Enhancing civil
preparedness and increasing the resilience and recovery capacity of our
critical infrastructures are therefore essential in managing terrorism
related risks.

This holds particular truth with respect to critical information
infrastructure. Countries need to significantly enhance their capabilities
to respond to cyber attacks. This is a great challenge and one that will
only grow as our reliance on the Internet grows and as information
technologies are getting increasingly sophisticated. There is a need for
close systematic co-ordination within countries and among countries. There
is a need for trusted contacts in the public and private sectors, as well
as across borders, with fast and reliable lines of communications. All
countries should establish specialized Computer Emergency Response Teams
(CERTs) and continuously train their staff in the latest trends and
developments pertaining to cyber security.

Enhancing Diplomacy

In my view, reinvigorating diplomacy should also be among our foremost
priorities, with special emphasis on person-to-person diplomacy and
effective use of regional diplomacy as a multiplier. Expanded diplomacy is
a fundamental prerequisite for co-ordinated intelligence and co-ordinated
action against terror and the factors conducive to terrorism. Through
improved interpersonal diplomacy, countries will find common ground for
better teamwork in the multi-faceted fight against terror.

Enhancing Efforts to Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that
Lead to Terrorism

Lastly, I think that our greatest challenge in the long term is to build up
the resistance of people to appeals to violence by terrorists and other
hate advocates, and to counter radicalization. This is our greatest
challenge because it goes far beyond counter-terrorism per se, and could
arguably be stretched to encompass everything necessary to make our
societies and the world we live in better, more inclusive and more
respectful of every human being. This is our greatest challenge because
obviously we cannot tackle every issue, everywhere at the same time - we
need to make prioritize and to focus on the most consequential steps.

It is our greatest challenge because it requires us to strike a fine
balance between upholding fundamental freedoms, especially the freedoms of
opinion and speech, while effectively criminalizing incitement to
terrorism. It is our greatest challenge because it goes far beyond the
traditional community of counter-terrorism practitioners, to include civil
society, academia, media and businesses.

We must devise and implement strategies to challenge violent ideologies and
to preclude indoctrination into terrorist narratives, especially the
indoctrination of young people. The saying that it is necessary to win
hearts and minds has only become clichИ because it has been done poorly in
the past. Nevertheless, it is right on target. Ideological engagement,
debate and discussion are integral parts of counter-terrorism efforts. If
we wish to mitigate terrorism, we must understand it.

We must do more to address all the factors that can make individuals more
vulnerable to the appeals of terrorists and their violent extremist
supporters. We must do more to counter the dehumanization of victims of
terrorism. We must do more to alleviate the disenfranchisement and socio-
economic alienation that fuels terrorist recruitment. We must do more to
improve living conditions in areas where hopelessness incubates hatred. We
must to do more to achieve a peaceful resolution of prolonged conflicts
around the Globe.

I can only reiterate here that to live up to these challenges the pooling
of resources and expertise is indispensable; international co-operation and
public-private partnerships are indispensable. And they are particularly
instrumental for enhanced efforts in the fields of research and education.


The Need for Sustained Research Efforts

We all know the timeless precept "know your enemy". I suggest that we need
to increase our knowledge and understanding of terrorism as a process, its
facilitators and the factors conducive to it. Additional research is
imperative here. Terrorism is such a multifaceted, constantly evolving
threat, and its ramifications are so far-reaching, that continued research
is imperative to stay in tune with reality.

If you look at radicalization for instance - the beginning of terrorism as
a process - it is a highly contextualized phenomenon with localized
triggers. Social networks are critically important, and radicalization
occurs through a variety of media and environments. The factors conducive
to people becoming radicalized are multiple, and their relative importance
varies from one individual experience to another. We have to better
understand this. Strategies, policies and practices need to be designed and
adjusted according to the reality on the ground. There cannot be one size
fits all. To be effective, counter-radicalization efforts have to be
informed by specific research findings.

I am not suggesting that nothing has been done so far. Arrays of research
projects have been undertaken. Recently for instance, four studies
commissioned by the European Commission were completed looking at
radicalization in the EU. Last year, in support of its Global Counter-
Terrorism Strategy, the UN undertook a comprehensive mapping exercise of
policies implemented and actions taken by Member States worldwide on
radicalization and extremism that lead to terrorism. Such research efforts
need to be sustained, diversified and cross-fertilized. We need to support
further data collection and research, and importantly, we need to bridge
the gap between knowledge and policies by enhancing our ability to turn
theory into practice.

Research on Violent Extremism that Lead to Terrorism

Let me suggest a few concrete areas where additional research efforts are
particularly needed. I think that in order to counter terrorist ideologies,
including those manipulating religious tenets, we have to better understand
the baseline upon which violent extremists are building their discourses We
need to conduct attitudinal surveys in different segments of populations
regarding violent extremist arguments.

Importantly, we need to significantly increase research on de-
radicalization to grasp and leverage the processes and factors for
individual and collective disengagement from terrorism. And I would also
suggest that we need to further research the impact of various counter-
terrorism measures to assess their effectiveness and to comprehend possible
counter-productive effects.

Research on Terrorist Use of the Internet and Cyber Security

Regarding cyber security, I see four areas in particular where additional
research is needed. First, we need to further investigate terrorist uses of
the Internet to establish priorities. Some suggest, for instance, that the
threat from terrorist online training materials may be exaggerated and that
we should focus instead on countering terrorist use of the Internet for
radicalization and financing purposes.

Second, more research is needed to assess the actual and potential impact
of cyber crime and cyber attacks to make the case for enhanced protective
measures and additional expenses to be borne by businesses, individual end-
users and taxpayers.

Third, I would suggest that careful research is required to identify
precisely which components of the global information infrastructure system
are the most critical, which segments are the weakest links, and should
thus be the object of particular attention.

Fourth, I think that additional research would help us consider whether new
or additional international legal instruments are necessary to strengthen
cyber security.


The Need for Educational Programmes to Counter Violent Extremism and
Enhance Cyber Security

Research is a prerequisite for informed counter-terrorism policies and
measures. On the other hand, education can be a valuable, if not
indispensable tool in countering terrorism in the medium/long term.
Arguably it is a tool that we should use more deliberately and effectively
to counter the spread of violent extremism and radicalization that lead to
terrorism as well as to enhance cyber security.

Education in Countering the Spread of Violent Extremism and Radicalization
that Lead to Terrorism

In order to counter violent extremism and radicalization leading to
terrorism we should develop appropriate educational and awareness-raising
programmes on non-violence, human rights, tolerance, and other civic
values. We have to be as vocal and effective in promoting these values, as
terrorists are in propagating their ideologies of hatred and violence. We
have to target societies as a whole, but also specific audiences, in
particular the youth. We have to promote alternatives to violence,
including civic and social engagement opportunities.

In doing so, all sectors of society have to join forces. Civil society
organizations, businesses, the media and religious institutions, all have a
key role to play in encouraging non-violence, respect and social inclusion.
We should use all media available, including the Internet, to widely
broadcast messages that challenge and completely condemn terrorism, its
apologists and its glorification.

We have to tackle ignorance and misinformation in all sections of society.
Additional efforts are needed to enhance mutual understanding among peoples
and between religious communities, especially at the grassroots level.
Conscious efforts are needed to dissociate religion from politics and
conflicts, and to dissociate local relations and problems from remote
events.

All those who can contribute, first hand and on the front line, to
challenge violent extremist ideas, including for instance teachers,
journalists, grassroots activists, or clerics, should be empowered through
relevant training and materials.

I would also like to suggest that associations of victims of terrorism can
be powerful educators. They are arguably the best placed to speak out
against terror, whenever and wherever it occurs. This potential should be
maximized and fully used, through for instance, enhanced media access,
commemoration days, specific websites, itinerant exhibitions, visits to
schools and universities.

Education in Enhancing Cyber Security

Education can also play key role in enhancing cyber security. Raising
awareness and educating the individual Internet user is essential.
Technology cannot replace well trained or at least vigilant people.

The human user remains the weakest link in terms of cyber security. More
debate is needed with regard to user liability in cases of extreme
negligence. Contemporary IT systems are so powerful that a certain degree
of responsibility should be expected from their users. Citizens have rights
and duties; in the era of information societies, basic computer literacy is
indispensable for responsible citizenry.

Moreover, it is crucial to educate and raise awareness of juries tasked
with trying cyber perpetrators. Adequate information and training should be
made available in this regard.


Concluding Observations

I would like to conclude by briefly highlighting what my Unit, the OSCE
Action against Terrorism Unit, has been recently doing in the fields of
cyber security and counter-radicalization, and what are our plans for the
future.

In October last year, at the initiative of the United Kingdom, the ATU
organized an Expert Workshop on Violent Extremism and Radicalization that
Lead to Terrorism. The workshop facilitated the exchange of perceptions,
ideas and good practices on countering radicalization among experts from 42
countries.

Subsequently, OSCE participating States were called upon by the OSCE
Ministerial Council to make use of the Organization's executive structure
to counter this phenomenon in their respective countries. The ATU now
stands ready to organize follow-up activities upon request, such as sub-
regional and national workshops; radicalization awareness trainings; as
well as public-private expert roundtables to discuss counter-radicalization
efforts vis Ю vis specific target groups such as youth or women.

In the field of cyber security, the ATU worked in 2008 towards a
comprehensive OSCE approach to Enhancing Cyber Security, addressing
"traditional" uses of the Internet by cybercriminals and terrorists as well
as new trends relating to cyber-attacks. These efforts came to fruition
early 2009 with the organization of a national expert workshop for Serbia,
the first of its kind and possible model for future such workshops.

The ATU also co-ordinated, under the auspices of the OSCE's Forum for
Security Co-operation, a Workshop on a Comprehensive OSCE Approach to
Enhancing Cyber Security, where experts from 50 countries discussed current
and emerging cyber threats and the necessity of a comprehensive approach to
enhancing cyber security. They also explored the potential role for the
OSCE in such a comprehensive approach, and identified concrete measures for
possible follow-up action.

With this, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank once again the
Moscow State University for this timely initiative and choosing such an
important topic for this session. The Russian Federation has a lot of
expertise in countering terrorism and strengthening information security
and the ATU looks forward to continued close co-operation with you.

I thank you very much for your attention.

Office of the Secretary General
Action against Terrorism Unit
Wallnerstrasse 6 Tel: +43 1 514 36 6702
Mail: atu@osce.org
A - 1010 Vienna Fax: +43 1 514 36 6687
osce.org/atu