Talking to Terrorists

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This account details travels through the West Bank, Gaza, Iraqi prisons, the slums of Casablanca, Chechnya, and radicalized neighborhoods in Europe, as well as interactions with hostages and terrorists. Dr. Speckhard reveals what drives vulnerable individuals toward terrorism and how they can be redirected. With over four hundred interviews with terrorists, their families, and hostages, she offers a unique perspective. Her immersive approach includes staying overnight in terrorists' homes and interviewing them in prisons or on the streets, providing a rare glimpse into their contexts. Through these interactions, insights emerge regarding the manipulation of human weaknesses that can lead to violence. Dr. Speckhard combines thorough research on culture and religion with a genuine desire to understand the motivations behind terrorism, defining the complex factors that contribute to its emergence. An internationally recognized expert on the psychological aspects of terrorism and posttraumatic stress disorder, her work also explores methods for disengagement, deradicalization, rehabilitation, and reversing a terrorist's trajectory. Her decade-long studies deepen our understanding of one of the most pressing and violent issues of our time.