Inecent}(ears.theUnitedStateshasseenallumWroflodivrduais10the

U.S.

IoocomeInvolvedfn,l(lolentextremlstacilvlfies,withcpartlcularactlillty

by

American residentsandcitizensinspired

by

alQaetlaandttsideolegy.Weknowthat1Ii0lentextremls~IsnotconfineCltoanysingleIdeology,butwealsoknowthatthethreat posedbyalQaedaand

Its

adherentsisthepreeminentthreatwefaceInthehomeland,targetingMuslim:MIeficsncQmmunities(orrecruitment.AccordinglY.Illsurgent forlaw,enforcementpersonneltobeapproprtatelytrainedInunderstandlng,anddetectingIdeologicllllymotivatedcriminalbehavior,andInworkingwithcommunitiesand local'lawenforcementtocounterdornesttcviolentextremism.Trainingmustbe,basedon

current

Intelligenceandanaccurate

understanding

ofhowpeople-are radicalizedtoviolence,andmustincludeculturalcompetencytrainingso-thatourpersonnel

do

not,mlsta~e.forexample;varioustypes

of

relfgiousobservanceasasign •ofterroristInclination.MiSinformationaboutthethreatanddyr'lar,nicsof'vIolentradIcalizationcanharm

our

securltybysendingus.Inthewrongdirectionand. unnecessarilycreatingtenslonswithpotentialcommunity.partners, TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity,inpartnershipwiththeNationalCounterterrorismCenter,hostsaninter-agencyworkinggrouptobringtogetherbestpracticesin CounteringViolentExtremism(CVE)training.Thegrouphaspreparedthissuggestedlistof Do's'and Don'ts tipsforfederal,state,andlocalgovernmentandlaw enforcementofficialsorganizingCVE,culturalawareness,

counter-redicallzatlon,

orcounterterrorismtraining..

 

Trainingobjectives should

be

focused'

and

clear1.Matchtrainingcontenttotheaudiencemember'sjobs Materialshouldberelevantancusefultothosebeingtrainee .

Forexample.aproram

designed

for

counterterrorisrn

(CT)

investigators

likely

wit 

00\

beappropriateforothers.Training

sholild

meet

Y lII

sed it:

objectives.

1.

Don'tuseprogramsthatventuretoodeepintotheweedsofreligiousdoctrineandhistory.WhileInteresting.suchdetails willonlybeofusetothemostspecializedlawenforcement personnel;thesetopicsarenotnecessaryinorder-to understandthe,community..

 

Training

objectivee

shouldnothavea politicalagenda SeekoutlrainirlgprovidedbyindividualswhobekmrJto

lar'gel

organizations

with

public

constituencies.Atraining

provider

with

a

publicconstituencyisless.susceptibletointerest

group politics.

2.Seekout

[raining

thatprovidesopportunities

for

further learning

aile 

fostersself-studyTheseMe

complex

topics requiringon-goirlg

leaming.

1.

Don'tusetrainingwilliapolitical.agenda.Thisisnotthetime totrytopersuadeaudiences,

for

example,onviewsabouttheIsraeli/Palestinianconflict,reformationwithinIslam,orthe properrole

of

IslaminmajOrilyMuslimnations.2.Don'tusetrainerswhoanswerprimarily

to

interestgroups.Forexample.trainerswhoareself-professed Muslim reformers mayfurtheraninterestgroupagendainsteadofdeliveringgeneraIlY'accepted,unbiasedinformation.

3.

Don'tusetrainingthatpurportstotellstudents alltheyneed

toknow :

such.trainersarelikelymoreinterestedinsaJe§than·education.Trainerswhodiscouraqeextra-curricular educationarefearfulofdifferingviewpoints.

 

2.

Don'tuseprogramsthatgeneralizeaboutappearance,nationaloriginorothersimilarcharacteristicsinanattemptto identify indicators or types'ofpeoplelikelytocarryoutacts ofviolentextremism.AVOidsuchexamples-sachangeinbeardshape,listenstohip.hopmusic,fromaspecific religiousbranch,etc.Theseindicatorsareinaccurate.

3.

Don'tusetrainingthatisoverbroad,equatinganentire religio~,nation,region,'orculturewithevilorviolence,For example,ilisincorrectanddamagingtoassert

tbat

allMuslimshaveterroristties..

I ~ 

-----.---- --.f---- ------- - --.---

 ;held

th<lt

lr.Jin n'd

proll; ;es

oper2.tiol:uibc)~,~

P 

aC(icc:s'0;

1

c

Don't'usetrainingthatisall warstories, whichmayrelytoo

\'ow

it.;

eng<lge(e

iJ

shoes

offinmosquesill

fAu ;,,,muchonoutdatedinformationandoverqenerailzations.

.4. , ·),i ; <1

communities)so

i.ri\in~)rJ

f:rS()nne'

Gan

conkbnliy

Regalinganaudiencewithablow-by-blowaccountofa2003

I? i'<9a9ii.

teirorism,investlgationdoesnotaddressthechangingnature ofviolentextremismwefacetoday.Trainingshould besensitiveto constitutionalvalues

D

Trainingshouldbe appropriatelytailored andsupported Revi ,wmetraining

.program

to

ensurethat

it

usesexamples todemonstratethatterrorists

span

ethniclty.

race.

gender.andj(~Ii(:J.iOri. 2Lopk.fortrainingthatfocusesonbehaviorsoverappearances

01'

1 ,3<1; S.

3.LOOK

fortraining

thatsupportstne

protacllon

ofGi'lilright,,;and

c.ivHHbnrtiesaspartofnational

sf::curHv_

'2Choo'~e

H

trairWlg

thEll

I :lrailarsc)(0

y01/f

{1iJd.iBnGl~,Ls.a

;n~il)inn

fo;

i

t

te iig8n(;e

pfofB:;;slon~11:,v[Hi$\ (058

terii(lnoln}H-'

\'lh·::.:reas(-1

Iff;inii1g

for

 ;:p. i

 (lfc;Cen;ent

~NiH

:::I( i:~,~:~)

 ltBTCf(:Hon

1.

bon'tusetrainingthatequatesradicalthought.religious .expression,freedomtoprotest,orotherconstitutionally- protectedaCtivity.withcriminal.acttvlty,Onecanhave'radical thoughts/idaas.includingdislikingtheU.S.government, withoutbeingviolent;forexample,trainerswhoequatethe .desireforSharialawwithcriminalaclivilyviolatebasicIenets of

the-

FirstAmendment.2.Don'tusetrainingthatpurportstoteachpsychological lndlcatorsofterrorism.Keeptrainingprogramsfocusedon criminalbehavior,notmenIalprocesses,3.Don'tusetrainingthatreasonsbroadlyfromanecdotal evidencere.q..OmarHammamlstartedtowearmore religiousclothing,therefore,startingtowearreligiousgarbis anindicatorofterrorism.