Hizb Ut-Tahrir: Preemptively Eradicating the Recruitment Pool For Radical Islamic Terrorist Organizations

Date of Graduation

Spring 2006

Degree

Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies

Department

Defense and Strategic Studies

Committee Chair

Ilan Berman

Abstract

As the American-spearheaded Global War on Terror continue, the United States and its allies must continue to evolve their counter-terrorism strategies to combat the long-term threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism. For the West, the most prolific component of the Global War on Terror is the psychological battle to win the hearts and minds of the Islamic community. Arguably, the Western world will never emerge victorious from the Global War on Terror without eradicating the ideology of hate espoused by the radical Islamist movement that seeks to destroy the West. Moreover, the West will have won the Global War on Terror when the recruitment pool for radical Islamist terrorist organizations is eradicated. Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, a radical organization, represents the ultimate recruitment source for the future of terrorism in the name of fundamental Islam. This study will provide an organizational profile or Hizb ut-Tahrir. While the organization maintains that it does not actively engage in violent, terrorist activities, the undeniable threat of Hizb ut-Tahrir is the organization's ability to allow the Global War on Terror to continue indefinitely by providing radical Islamism with a bottomless recruitment pool. This study will also provide policy recommendations for American policy makers, so that the threat of Hizb ut-Tahrir may be most effectively eradicated.

Keywords

terrorism, counterterrorism, Islamism, ideology, recruitment

Subject Categories

Defense and Security Studies

Copyright

© Adrienne M. Corson

Citation-only

Dissertation/Thesis

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