Combatting Terrorism: Saudi Arabia’s Role in the War on Terror
Ali S. Awadh Asseri - Oxford 2009
Following September 11 Saudi Arabia faced a serious crisis. With the majority of the attackers originating from Saudi Arabia, the world was left wondering whether it was a country that encouraged extremist thinking. Presently, however, the international community has reached the consensus that this is not the case. On the contrary, Saudi Arabia has become the leader in a particular kind of counter-terrorist policy—one that is not dependent on drone attacks, but rather one that avoids the offensive policies that create grievances later used to excuse the killing of innocent people. Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of what has been described a “soft” counterterrorist policy focused on prevention and rehabilitation.
As a result of its success, Saudi diplomat Ali S. Awadh Asseri has written Combatting Terrorism to explain his country’s strategy in the hope of rendering it more applicable to other contexts. However, as the book progresses the reader finds that there is another, equally important aspect of international cooperation present in the authors aims. This is an apology, in the Socratic sense of the term, of Islam as a peaceful religion.
In this aim, the author’s professional legacy as a diplomat stands out. He is effective in demonstrating that Islam is a peaceful religion and that unfortunately terrorists have twisted interpretations that make it appear as though it condones violence. As a result, he successfully refutes the idea that secular Western countries, and more conservative religious countries, like Saudi Arabia, are doomed to clash because their “civilizations” differ. Instead, he continually highlights that in the tradition of Islam, otherness, especially religious difference, has always been tolerated.
The most impressive aspect of this achievement, however, is increasingly evident when one understands that it is this tactic that is applied in Saudi Arabia’s counterterrorism strategy. An important part of the counterterrorist strategy is to promote a uniform definition of Islam and its tenets. In practical terms this has translated into encouraging respected religious leaders to speak to terrorists and show them that their previous interpretation of jihad was actually in contradiction to Islam.
Nonetheless, jihad is a concept in Islam, so how can one separate violence from the religion if terrorists claim they are performing jihad in the name of Islam? Asseri’s chapter entitled “The Islamic Perspective on Terrorism” in this case is particularly important for readers who are less familiar with Islam and might be more susceptible to xenophobic characterizations of Islam that present it as a violent religion.
In this chapter he evaluates claims that the “sword verses” in the Koran, or those that discuss the killing of unbelievers, render Islam a violent religion. He points to one verse in particular that is usually cited along claims that Islam is violent. “When the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them and confine them and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush.” However, he notes that “the passage above is followed and qualified by ‘But if they repent and fulfill their devotional obligations and pay the Zakat, then let them go their way for God is forgiving and kind.’”
In other words, Asseri uses the same tactic his government employs to convince former terrorists that Islam is not violent to ensure his readers of this same fact. The creation of a uniform discursive analysis of the Koran, although not expressly declared as such, is an integral aspect of Saudi counterterrorist strategy, just as it is for the jihadis who rely on the Koran to defend acts of violence against civilians.
This is perhaps why the strategy in Saudi Arabia has been so successful. Instead of coming to religious men and women with secular explanations on why their behavior is wrong, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated great insight into the psyche of its citizens by promoting a religious solution to the terrorist problem.
Although Combatting Terrorism is an insightful piece on the details of Saudi counterterrorist policies, it lacks in other areas. This is especially true of Asseri’s evaluation behind the causes of terrorism. The main complaint that can be made of this section is that it lacks a scientific structure, and instead presents at times contradictory accounts of what might lead individuals to become terrorists.
One example is his claim that “The reasons behind terrorism are as diverse as the types of people who commit terrorist attacks.” However, he earlier describes poverty and inequity as the main cause behind terrorism. Although there is some truth to both claims, and indeed they can be interrelated, the author might have been able to present the argument in a more concise manner.
A second questionable thesis in his book is the impact of the criminal justice system on the prevention of terror attacks. Asseri claims that “The use of the criminal justice system can help reduce terrorism in several ways. The prospect of being caught and punished may deter other terrorists from attacking in the first place. Even if not deterred, the movement of terrorists still at large can be impeded by knowledge that they are wanted men.” Yet, the deterring effects of criminal justice have long been questioned. Punishment and prosecution are rarely deterrents for less grave crimes like steeling. It is unlikely that punishment would deter those who are willing to die for a cause they believe in.
Despite these two questionable points in Asseri’s Combatting Terrorism, the book is an important addition to research on counterterrorist policies. Asseri not only explores the Saudi counterterrorist model, he also looks at other countries that have pursued similar strategies. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the book as it allows for the development of applicable cross-country measures.
This section is also admirable for its objectivity as well as Asseri’s ability to draw lessons from the experiences of other countries. For one, the author highlights that those countries that employ soft counterterrorist policies must “add an indigenous flavor for it to work successfully in its respective environment.” Nonetheless, he also recognizes that the Saudi counterterrorist model can be expensive and that financing such an enterprise adequately is of critical relevance to its success.
Overall, Asseri’s work on counterterrorism in Saudi Arabia is an insightful book on the importance of complementing military force in the fight against terror. Beyond this aim, his book is also a successful diplomatic effort for Islam as he effectively undoes any claims that the religion promotes violence.
