NYT - Who Will Become a Terrorist?

[maskedmelon]

NYT offers an insightful glimpse into the world of international terror as they ask: Who will become a terrorist?

Despite ongoing research and heated debates within governments over spying on their citizenry apparently there is no commonality among terrorists, or even a majority of them.

Their backgrounds are so diverse that they defy a single profile.

Verily, these distressed souls come from every walk of life. Their backgrounds are reminiscent of one contemporary political candidates supports: highly educated, poorly educated, skinny, fat, old, young. There is no sense to it. Perhaps the one thing they do share (aside from a sibling, watch yourself if you've a brother) is untended frustration that has culminated in alienation. Governments are however keen to advance preventative measures wherever possible.

When President Obama announced plans in 2011 to prevent homegrown terrorism, the details were sketchy, but the promise was clear. The White House would provide warning signs to help parents and community leaders.

Of course, aside from fervent protection of civilian errors which all governments hold dear, governments must be careful in the approach they adopt to identify these lost souls, lest they create more of them.

...civil libertarians see only danger in government efforts to identify people at risk of committing crimes.

If only the majority of people committing these crimes shared a common belief or value, if only their crimes contained within them some prevailing theme, the process would be so much easier. Sadly it is not so simple. The idea of terrorism and what constitutes a terrorists itself remains amorphous.

Researching terrorism is admittedly difficult. It involves tough questions about who qualifies as a terrorist, or as a rebel or a soldier. Nelson Mandela? Palestinian suicide bombers? The Taliban of today? The Afghan mujahedeen when the C.I.A. supported them?

At the end of the day, people just have problems and the solution for some people just happens to be terrorism.

In Montgomery County, Md., a Washington suburb, a Muslim-led interfaith organization called Worde thinks it may have a solution. Organizers have provided families and faith leaders with lists of warning signs: depression, trauma, economic stress and political grievances. Anyone who spots these indicators signs can call Worde, which will arrange mental health or religious counseling.

As always, the best a beleaguered government can do in the face of such maddening problems is speak words and spend money.

Still, the Obama administration believes Worde could be a model and has awarded it $500,000 in grants.

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