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.

Ami Angell, PhD, LLM, is a research fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She has spent a substantial amount of time working in the Middle East, including 44 months in Iraq (2005–2008) and 24 months in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. She also has worked and lived in Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Italy, Switzerland, England and, most recently, Singapore.

Rohan Gunaratna, PhD, is a specialist of the global threat environment, with expertise in threat groups in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He is head of Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), one of the largest specialist counter terrorism research and training centers in the world. He is also a professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

A Recent History of Iraq The Extremist Threat The Case Against Iraq The Context Origins and Development of Threat Groups The Threat Landscape Ansar al-Islam fi Kurdistan (Ansar al-Islam) Tanzim Qaedat fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (Al Qaeda in Iraq) U.S. Impact on Threat Groups in Iraq State of Affairs of Detainment and Detainees The Predicament U.S. Detainee Operations Process in Detainee Operations Impact of the Abu Ghraib Abuse Reaction to Abu Ghraib Setting the Stage for Terrorist Rehabilitation Detainees (re)Act Inside the Wire Major Theatre Internment Facilities (TIFs) in Iraq USCENTCOM General David H. Petraeus Task Force 134Detainee Rehabilitation Program Is Put Forth for Consideration Lt. Gen. Gardner Acts In(To) the Fire Major General Douglas M. Stone Origination of the TIFRIC Concept Initial Challenges Rehabilitation Pilot Program MNFRC Boards Major General David E. Quantock Part of the Team OSS Contractors Pilot Program Sustenance Lodging Medical and Spiritual Services Extracurricular Activities Work Conditions Employed Local Iraqi Nationals Sustenance Lodging Medical and Spiritual Services Extracurricular Activities Work Conditions Task Force 134 Military Staff Liaisons Detainee Care and Custody Classification Criteria Housing Placement Caravan Compound K-Span MDHU SHU Former Baath Party Regime Members Studios Sunni and Shiite Division Medical Access The Motivation Factor A Method to the Madness Rehabilitation Unmasked Iraq’s Rehabilitation Programs The Program Counterinsurgency Operations Information Operations Intelligence Gathering Visitation The Secret Weapon Iraqi Ministry of Education (MoE) Education Placement Training Program for Local Iraqi Civilian Teachers Training Program for Detainee Teachers for Intracompound Teaching Curriculum Intracompound Schools Formal Schools Computer Training Challenges Religious Enlightenment Growing Pains Four-Day Program Day One Day Two Day Three Social Worker Component Day Four Four-Day Graduation Teach a Person to Fish Vocational Skill Training Agriculture Barbershop Carpentry Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Masonry Sewing Art of War Creative Expressions Program (CEP) Week One Week Two Week Three Week Four Bucca Bears and Cropper Camels Arts and Crafts Leaping Forward Lessons Learned The Way Forward Widening the Scope The Tanweer Concept Phase I: Initial Tanweer Phase II: Sustained Tanweer Phase III: Transition Tanweer Tanweer Transformed 12-Day Tanweer 10-Day Tanweer The Future of Extremist Rehabilitation Programs The Context The Background Human Terrain Is Key The Neglected Battlefield Modes of Rehabilitation Religious Rehabilitation Psychological Rehabilitation Social and Family Rehabilitation Education Rehabilitation Vocational Rehabilitation Creative Arts Rehabilitation Recreation Rehabilitation Working Model First Fundamental Aspect Second Fundamental Aspect Third Fundamental Aspect Fourth Fundamental Aspect Fifth Fundamental Aspect Sixth Fundamental Aspect Seventh Fundamental Aspect Eighth Fundamental Aspect Ninth Fundamental Aspect Guiding Principles The Future Toward a Global Regime Strategy for an Unconquerable Nation Passion The Wrap Up American Dream Leap of Faith Persistence References Appendix A Appendix B Index