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09/11/2018

Lights and shadows of Jordan’s counterterrorism strategy? Victoria Silva Sánchez

Jordan is one of the countries with the highest number of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. It is also one of the world leaders in the fight against terrorism and extremism. But, what is the Jordanian strategy to counter these? The reality is that there is no such coordinated approach to address these issues. Instead, the Jordanian approach is overwhelmingly reactive and securitarian. As a result, focus is put on the dismantling of terrorist cells and the prevention of attacks in the country as well as the containment of violence outside of the Jordanian territory. At the same time, it has had negative effects on social cohesion and the narrowing of the fundamental rights and freedoms for its citizens. Besides, not addressing the root causes behind extremism has not provided a solution to addressing for the continuous flow of young Jordanians towards extremist groups. The Jordanian counter-terrorist strategy casts more shadows than light.

 

Victoria Silva Sánchez