FOSTERING DISENGAGEMENT: LESSONS FROM ITALY SOUTH-EAST ASIA

摘要

The conventional wisdom holds that ‘once a terrorist always a terrorist’. This paperwill examine, on the contrary, how very different groups and individuals haveabandoned political violence. The paper will provide a review of the literature onterrorism, particularly since 9/11 and on disengagement more specifically.Subsequently the paper will assess disengagement in Italy and South-East Asia in twoways: by looking both at the factors leading to disengagement reported by the former‘terrorists’ and at the policies implemented by different states to fosterdisengagement. The author aims to show that, contrary to much of the literature on‘new terrorism’, though violent groups, and target states differ vastly similarconclusions can be drawn on why disengagement occurs and how it can be fostered.Finally concluding remarks will be made along with policy recommendations inparticular on the issue of disengaging and reintegrating returning foreign fighters.