Terrorism could be considered the most severe display of crime and may threaten large population sectors. This aspect of hazardous crime is present in various parts of the world, including developed and developing countries. Due to the danger of terrorism, most countries have implemented various counter-terrorism measures, and the priority is often set on preventing crime and minimizing the damage. The counter-terrorism approaches often involve hard and soft policies to address this issue. This essay explores the ineffectiveness of relying solely on hard measures, the benefits of the soft methods, and the most efficient technique of their combination.
Failure of Hard Approach
The hard approach to countering terrorism involves the use of rigid and strict measures. The hard approach could also be rephrased as the military approach, which focuses on eliminating or disarming the target using military force. By observing the case of Nigeria involving the attacks of a terrorist organization called Boko Haram, it could be noticed that relying solely on hard power is ineffective. Nigeria faced increased terrorist attacks on its territory and adopted various counter-terrorist techniques. However, the techniques did not show the desired effect, since the country still massively relied on a hard approach toward terrorism. The military approach is critical in maintaining the fundamental security of the territory and protecting civilians from terror, and Nigeria considered this approach to be the most effective. The results emphasize that using a hard approach against terrorism only showed a 7% improvement in battling terrorism, which is miserable in the face of this severe problem (Ugwueze & Onuoha, 2020). By utilizing sole brutal force against terrorists, the country only triggers a new chain reaction of endless hatred, just postponing the problem.
Soft Approach to Counter-Terrorism
The opposite of the military approach, the soft approach is considered a diplomatic approach to countering and preventing terrorism. Compared to a hard approach, where the emphasis is put on reactive and strict response, a soft approach involves conciliation to identify the motives and objectives of terrorists. This approach involves acquiring more information about the terrorist ideology and using strategies to counter this ideology. The recent terrorist attack in Bangladesh with 28 lethal outcomes has triggered the government to implement a soft technique of building a proper community to tackle terrorism. As the terrorists are local youth who radical units have programmed, the government set the objective of creating a safe community. As the societies in Bangladesh differ fundamentally, it is crucial to encourage trust and respect between diverse groups of the population (Husain, 2017). A soft approach to enhancing communities may be effective as brainwashing one unit could be simple, but programming the whole society will be impossible.
Deradicalization and Rehabilitation Using Soft Approach
The soft approach also involves the process of reverse radicalization and rehabilitation of criminals that malicious organizations and units have programmed. The radicalization process often starts with the implantation of destructive ideology and afterworld into the brain of young civilians. Due to their young age, they could be unable to identify the dangers of ideologies and could not resist them on a psychological level. By exploring the case of Sri Lanka regarding the implementation of deradicalization and rehabilitation, the benefits of the soft approach could be identified. During the program, feelings of hatred, refusal, and destruction were replaced by their positive opposites. The approach involved establishing the victims’ connection with their families and society and spiritual and general education to encourage personal growth. The results of the approach are impressive, as, from more than 12,000 rehabilitated patients, only ten were engaged in repeated criminal activities (Hettiarachchi, 2018). Using soft approaches such as reverse radicalization and rehabilitation may be one of the most effective ways to handle the issue of local terrorism.
The Combined Method
Although the sole hard approach could be ineffective, relying solely on a soft approach may be dangerous as the country needs to have radical measures if a rapid and brutal response is needed. Perhaps the most effective way to counter terrorism nowadays is to combine hard and soft measures to create an effective strategy. The combined technique is positive because a soft approach may shatter when the terrorists are foreigners. The criminals raised in another society and culture with various beliefs perhaps could not be rehabilitated, as their families are far away. As a result, it is crucial to implement both measures of offense, including arresting, preventing, and minimizing damage, as well as conciliation and reprogramming (Husain, 2017). The counter-terrorism policies of any territory should include possible military measures as insurance to the soft approach.
Implementing only one approach could endanger the territory and simulate the risks of a terrorist attack. Comprehensive counter-terrorism measures should prioritize using soft approaches to tackle local terrorism. The technique should include the creation of a safe community, as well as deradicalization and rehabilitation of victims. To address emergency circumstances, the country should possess a military force that could be used rapidly and precisely to disarm the situation.
References
Hettiarachchi, M. (2018). Rehabilitation to deradicalise detainees and inmates: A counter-terrorism strategy. Journal Of Policing, Intelligence And Counter Terrorism, 13(2), 267-283. Web.
Husain, T. (2017). Counter terrorism approaches: With reference to Bangladesh. ABC Journal Of Advanced Research, 6(1), 9-16. Web.
Ugwueze, M., & Onuoha, F. (2020). Hard versus soft measures to security: Explaining the failure of counter-terrorism strategy in Nigeria. Journal Of Applied Security Research, 15(4), 547-567. Web.