OTHER CONTACTS: Joan Dim, Florence, 39 055 271 840
or Serena Burgisser, Florence, 39 055 500 7258
Attendees include Judges Baltasar Garzón, Jean-Louis Bruguière, Armando Spataro, and Michael Sheehan, Paul Clement, Peter Clarke, Yosri Fouda, Nir Rosen, Richard Churchhouse, and Peter Bergen
At its fourth annual international conference, the Center on Law and Security at New York University School of Law will take on a new topic: the intersection of public policy, law enforcement, and security in the post 9/11 era. Building on three years of discussions among prosecutors, legal experts, terrorism experts, and international policymakers, the conference will turn its attention beyond the legal processes to prevent and combat terrorism and toward the possibility of creative public policy thinking and formulation.
While the efforts of law enforcement have stymied attacks and damaged incipient cells, changes in the nature and techniques of radicalism suggest that there are numerous untapped avenues of prevention, in the areas of public policy and diplomacy, both at the domestic and international levels, which can strengthen global security.
The three-day conference, “Prosecuting Terrorism: The Policy Challenge,” will be held from Thursday, May 24th to Saturday, May 26th at NYU’s Villa La Pietra, in Florence, Italy.
Space is limited. To make a press reservation, please contact Joan Dim in Florence at 39 055 271 840 or joan.dim@nyu.edu. Importantly, private interviews with participants may be arranged.
Conference Schedule: (Subject to change)
Friday, May 25 Villa La Pietra
Session I: 9:15 -11:00 a.m. Assessing the Threat: Patterns, Alliances, and Outlook
The conversation begins with the recognition that while old patterns of terrorist behavior continue and in some cases are now strengthened, new sources of radicalism have emerged. What are these new patterns? What mergers among racial groups have taken place within countries and transnationally? What are considered today’s greatest potential dangers within the European context and for the United States? What areas of the globe outside of the US and Europe are the source of the biggest threat to the West?
Discussants: Jean-Louis Bruguière, Peter Clarke, Baltasar Garzón, Armando Spataro Respondents: Michael Garcia, Peter Bergen, Samuel Rascoff, Nir Rosen, Yasar Qatarneh Moderator: Stephen Holmes
Session II: 11:15- 1:00 p.m. The UK: Crossroads of the Threat
Terrorist attacks and plots in recent years have brought the UK into the spotlight in terms of terrorism threats, both in the UK itself and as a springboard to attacks elsewhere, notably but not only in the United States. The UK example is worth considerable exploration both in terms of internal policies towards Muslim communities and its population’s deep tie to Pakistan and countries in the Middle East. How could law enforcement been aided by public policy and by global law enforcement and diplomatic efforts in effecting greater harmony with Muslim groups? What can the US, Europe, and the UK learn from each others’ examples, obstacles, and successes?
Discussants: Daniel Benjamin, Steve Coll, Christopher Dickey, Hamid Mir Respondents: Peter Clarke, Michael Sheehan, Hayat Khan, Steve Simon Moderator: Peter Bergen
1:00 - 2:15 p.m. Lunch
Session III: 2:15-3:30 p.m.
The Law and Social Policy
What are and have been the major successes of law enforcement strategies? What are the obstacles that remain or that have developed in the area of global counterterrorism? What social policies have worked to help mitigate the threat of radicalism? Which law enforcement strategies might be helped by policies aimed at Muslim communities and at the larger social and political context of tolerance and inclusion? What foreign policy issues can be addressed to ameliorate the sociopolitical vulnerabilities which might lead to radicalization (e.g., border and refugee issues)? What contributions have institutions such as schools and religious centers made to calming or inciting radicalism? What remains to be done?
Discussants: Reza Aslan, Christopher Dickey, Viet Dinh, Richard Churchhouse, Respondents: Paul Clement, Joshua Dratel, Ken Karas, Andrea Elliott Moderator: Roger Cressey Session IV: 3:40:-5:00 p.m.
Radicalization and Communications: The Internet, Media, and Incitement
The exploitation of the instant information age of the internet and 24-hour news cycle has been a hallmark of terrorist movements of the late 90s and early part of this decade. Jihadis use the power of digital internet video and satellite television to broadcast their messages. Yet inroads against these forms of communication are technical and legally challenging. Is there a way for technology and communications to help the war on terror? What are the limits of law enforcement in this regard? What have we missed in combating tech-savvy jihadis? What are the areas of law enforcement that need to be strengthened? What measures can be dropped? What solutions can the public policy community devise? Where does law enforcement stand in matters of “root causes” and soft sector approaches?
Discussants: Jean-Louis Bruguière, Neal Katyal, Ken Wainstein, Neil MacBride Respondents: Yosri Fouda, Baltasar Garzón, Hamid Mir, Samuel Rascoff, Stephen Schulhofer Moderator: Richard Greenberg
Saturday, May 26 Villa La Pietra
Session V: 10:15 - 1:15 p.m.
How can the U.S. help the struggle against violent extremism?
Part One: Looking Ahead
Cast as evil in jihadi rhetoric and conversely as the nation of opportunity and the rule of law by others, the United States is embedded into the causes, problems, and potential solutions to the war on terror. How can the USG move beyond the policies which have caused international dissent, for example, on detention and rendition?
Discussants: Tim Golden, Jane Mayer, Matt Waxman, Armando Spataro Respondents: Roger Cressey, Daniel Benjamin, Neal Katyal, Scott Horton
Part Two: Fostering a Dialogue
How can foreign policy, economic policy, and public diplomacy be used to change the role the US plays in the Middle East and what expectations on the part of law enforcement would new policy strategies reinforce? This panel is an attempt to suggest concrete agendas for speaking to the Arab and Muslim countries as well as to US allies. What is it that would benefit our European allies? What strategies for relations with the Middle East are proving successful in diminishing the rise of Middle Eastern jihadi radicalism?
Discussants: Sidney Blumenthal, Amos Elon, Farhad Kazemi, Yasar Qatarneh Respondents: Peter Clarke, Stephen Holmes, Nir Rosen, Craig Unger Moderator: Karen Greenberg
EDITOR’S NOTE: NYU School of Law’s Center on Law and Security (CLS) is a research and policy center that examines security and studies the legal dimensions of security and counterterrorism at national and international levels. The CLS publishes task force reports, terrorist trial report cards, summarizes leading debates in national policy, and serves as an informational resource for policy makers, journalists and the public.