Establishment and Evolution of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research
This article explores the impetus behind the founding of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) and traces the Centre’s evolution over the past two decades through the phases of formation, development and consolidation.
Introduction
After Al-Qaeda (AQ)’s attacks on America’s iconic landmarks on 9/11, the world was confounded with a new form of threat for which past counter terrorism responses were inadequate. Governments worldwide sought to confront a new wave of jihadist-linked mass fatality and mass casualty terrorist attacks.
Developing terrorism research, education and outreach capabilities in Singapore was identified as necessary to better understand and respond to the threat posed by transnational Islamist terrorism. Initiated as the Programme on Political Violence and Terrorism Research, a specialist centre was incubated within the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on July 15, 2002.
Singapore’s then Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng subsequently inaugurated the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) on February 20, 2004. On January 1, 2007, when IDSS evolved into an autonomous graduate school and policy-oriented think tank, ICPVTR became a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU.
Next, when the threat evolved with the proclamation of the Islamic State (IS) from June 29, 2014, the Centre’s mission shifted to focus on monitoring both AQ- and IS-linked threat groups, networks, cells and personalities operating in the physical and virtual domains. In tandem, training and outreach programmes were developed, in part to better inform preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) strategies by researchers, policymakers and community stakeholders.
This article briefly examines the threat environment over the past two decades, ICPVTR’s programmes in Singapore and overseas, and the Centre’s impact and challenges throughout its various phases of evolution.
The Context
The origins of ICPVTR can be traced to events following the 9/11 terror attacks. Then, the world faced an unprecedented threat from Islamist terrorism. In parallel with AQ’s attacks on some of America’s iconic landmarks in New York and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001, its operational leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) had also planned to strike Western targets in East Asia, including in Singapore.[1]
The global city-state of Singapore was thus not immune to this cascading threat. In late 2001, it was revealed that a joint AQ-Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operation, involving a network of Arab and Singaporean nationals, had planned to strike the United States (US), British, Australian and Israeli diplomatic missions in Singapore, as well as maritime and other targets in the country.[2] AQ had also trained a number of Southeast Asian militants, including some Singaporeans, in Pakistan’s tribal areas and in Afghanistan.[3]
After the Singapore plot and threat network were dismantled by the authorities, AQ and its regional partner JI remained revengeful. The new threat environment underscored the need for Singapore and countries in the region to rapidly build research capabilities to understand and counter the threats posed by extremism and its vicious by-product, terrorism. The AQ-funded JI subsequently mounted a series of devastating suicide bomb attacks in Bali on October 12, 2022, killing 202 people of over 20 nationalities, including 88 Australians and 23 Britons. These events, coupled with other mass casualty attacks in global cities like Madrid, London and elsewhere over the next few years, would serve to emphasise the importance of building new capacities.
The Genesis
Following the decision to build a specialist research centre, I was invited to join IDSS, initially to establish a database of extremist groups and personalities, teach on counter terrorism and advise relevant policymakers. When ICPVTR evolved into a specialist centre in 2004, the Centre’s key focus was AQ, jihadist terrorism more broadly, and the geographical regions most associated with terrorist violence. The various databases developed by ICPVTR helped to inform regional decision-makers of the conditions, motivations and impacts of various threat actors, and to develop the appropriate countermeasures.
An early signature project was the Global Pathfinder (GP), a database and information repository that contained comprehensive profiles on terrorist groups, personalities and incidents.[4] Another database focused on extremist publications of security interest. In its various iterations, this latter repository contained over 400 jihadist websites and extremist social media accounts. As the threat evolved, capabilities were also built to monitor online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Formative Phase
At its inception, ICPVTR’s long-term mission was to develop human resource capabilities through rigorous education, training, mentoring and supervision. Some key principles guided this vision. To wit, the Centre was to conduct research, training and outreach aimed at mitigating the threat posed by politically motivated violence. Additionally, it sought to strike a balance between being academically rigorous and policy relevant.
In its formative phase, the Centre spent much time on countering radical Islamist ideology. Even before the formation of ICPVTR, a counter ideology unit had already been established in September 2003, to rebut the extremist narratives that were gathering momentum. The counter ideology desk produced an easy-to-read Q&A booklet on jihad in 2007 for mass circulation,[5] which was well received.
From the outset, the Centre’s approach was to invest in building professional expertise in two sub-domains – counter terrorism and counter extremism. One example of this was training members of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), a voluntary grouping of clerics involved in counselling terrorism detainees in Singapore. Their religious training was complemented by ICPVTR’s extremism research and the strategic studies offered by RSIS.
In time, ICPVTR’s focus increasingly turned overseas, apart from its domestic and regional research. To strengthen and expand its research output and reach, a culturally and linguistically diverse pool of analysts were recruited over the years from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia.
In addition to establishing itself as a leading regional hub for counter terrorism research, the Centre also began working with several governments and institutions to develop capacity-building programmes.[6] Mainly, this involved investing in education and training for staff, including those in law enforcement, the military and intelligence. The Centre also supported other research centres in countries dealing with counter terrorism and conflict issues, such as the Philippines and Indonesia.
Moreover, South Asia, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan, had in the years following 9/11 witnessed a surge in terrorism as the region became a breeding ground for extremist ideologies and militant groups. There was as a result an urgent need for the establishment of robust research and operational capacities focused on understanding the root causes of extremism and regional dynamics, as well as effective counter terrorism strategies contextualised for the region. Various funding channels enabled ICPVTR to build a capacity programme in Afghanistan, a hotspot for global terrorist activities.
For instance, ICPVTR lent its expertise to the creation of the Afghan research outfit, the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS), in 2006, and to the development of a training programme on capacity development and conflict management. The founder of CAPS, Hekmat Karzai, had previously enrolled in the Master of Science in Strategic Studies programme at RSIS, and had also served a stint as Research Fellow with the Centre. Notwithstanding the operational challenges it faces with the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021, CAPS continues to offer insights on developments in the country and the region.
Developmental Phase
By 2007, ICPVTR had grown to become one of the largest counter terrorism research and education centres in the world.[7] The centre had, figuratively speaking, developed a head, a heart and limbs. While the head of the centre was its information repository to support efforts to counter the more immediate operational threat of violence and terrorism, its heart reflected the far-reaching spirit of the staff. As no one is born a terrorist, the staff’s community engagement initiatives and rehabilitation training were aimed at building government and partner capacity to wean away support from extremism and exclusivism.
Over the next decade, a number of training programmes, workshops and conferences[8] were conceptualised and realised with various local and international partners to build national, regional and global capacities in counter terrorism. Functional capabilities were also developed in rehabilitation and community resilience, countering terrorist financing and money laundering, informatics and media, education, and legislative and developmental efforts.
In August 2007, ICPVTR launched the Counter Terrorism Leadership Programme (CTLP). This unique attachment programme allowed terrorism officials to work with and receive training and education from the Centre, while simultaneously sharing their own professional experience and domain knowledge with ICPVTR.
In 2008, ICPVTR initiated the annual Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC) – which it still conducts today – for security and private sector personnel from countries in the Asia-Pacific region. TATC brings together expert speakers to share their insights and observations on country-specific threat trends and topics such as cyber terrorism, terrorism financing, maritime terrorism and the crime-terror nexus, among others. The annual event remains the Centre’s leading capacity-building and networking platform for counter terrorism analysts, researchers and law enforcement officials.[9]
As part of the Centre’s community engagement and outreach efforts to educational institutions and grassroots organisations in Singapore, the Centre has engaged students, educators and grassroots personnel on issues related to terrorism and counter terrorism.[10] ICPVTR has also conducted – and continues to till this day – several training programmes for the Home Team Academy (HTA) and its specialist training centres.[11] HTA provides centralised training to the Home Affairs Ministry, which is responsible for the security of Singapore.[12] Similar workshops have also been held for counter terrorism officers from the police, immigration, customs, prisons, narcotics and intelligence services.[13]
Notable national security experts and individuals who have been associated with the Centre through its various activities over the years include Major General Tito Karnavian, the Minister of Home Affairs of Indonesia who previously served, inter alia, as Chief of Police, Chief of the National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) and Chief of the Special Detachment 88 (D88) at different points of his career,[14] as well as Maria Ressa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2021, who was at one point a Senior Fellow at RSIS.[15]
Consolidation Phase
The persistence of several threat networks, including JI, regionally in Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern Philippines, consolidated ICPVTR’s research and capacity-building efforts, which aimed to provide policy-relevant insights to benefit the region’s research and security agencies working on counter terrorism.
At the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) in Semarang, a joint initiative of the Australian Federal Police and the Indonesian National Police, ICPVTR assisted in the training of regional law enforcement and intelligence personnel. This included efforts to develop the first counter terrorism intelligence course for a regional intelligence outfit. ICPVTR also advanced its contributions to policymaking by providing assessments and conducting briefings for a number of government leaders and officials.
When the IS threat surged with the five-month Marawi Siege in 2017, US and Australian experts worked with ICPVTR to build the ASEAN “Our Eyes” Initiative (AOEI), a platform to encourage information exchange and cooperation among regional member states in the fight against radicalisation, extremism and terrorism.[16] Launched in Bali on January 25, 2018, the six defence ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore signed the Joint Statement on AOEI on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM).[17] In tandem with sub-regional collaborative efforts such as the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP) and the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA) as well as the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), the AOEI helped build the cooperation necessary to disrupt the movements of foreign terrorist fighters in the region.
On the research front, ICPVTR’s publications record showcased its global impact and academic legacy. For many years, leading academic journals such as Terrorism and Political Violence, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism and Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, had largely published the writings of notable scholars on the subjects of political violence and terrorism. As a centre based within the region, ICPVTR’s publications and research offered an additional and useful Asian perspective to the existing scholarship on such issues.
ICPVTR also launched a new publication titled Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) in September 2009, as a platform for researchers and analysts to offer their insights and foresights on trends and other key issues emerging in their research areas. The CTTA has since grown to become one of the leading free publications in the region with a readership in the thousands.
Conclusion
The Centre emerged at a time when there was no other counter terrorism research and education entity in the region to conduct research in the post-9/11 world. As the terror threat has ebbed and flowed over the past two decades, ICPVTR has arguably played a significant role in serving Singapore, the region and the world, and has provided the specialist resources and assistance needed to enhance counter terrorism capacities, especially in Southeast Asia.
In the foreseeable future, the terrorist threat will remain high due to three reasons. First, the possible nexus between extremist entities and the politicisation of religion in the region. Second, the proliferation of online extremist and terrorist websites that aim to politicise, radicalise and mobilise. Lastly, the growing geopolitical fragmentation globally that will impact cooperation and collaboration in the fight against terrorism. ICPVTR will continue to play a role in monitoring, assessing and neutralising potential threats as part of the larger security ecosystem.
About the Author
Dr Rohan Gunaratna is Professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. He was Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) in RSIS from February 2004 to December 2018. He can be reached at [email protected].
Thumbnail photo by Fabien Maurin on Unsplash
Citations
[1] National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, The 9/11 Commission Report (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2004), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-911REPORT/pdf/GPO-911REPORT.pdf.
[2] Elaine Lee, “Six Things You Should Know About ISD’s Operation Against JI in Singapore,” Ministry of Home Affairs, December 10, 2021, https://www.mha.gov.sg/home-team-news/story/detail/six-things-you-should-know-about-isd-s-operation-against-ji-in-singapore/; Ministry of Home Affairs, The Jemaah Islamiyah Arrests and the Threat of Terrorism (Singapore: Ministry of Home Affairs, 2003), https://www.mha.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/default-document-library/ji-white-paper_english0eb936fc72de4ab1a0da64c798905535.pdf.
[3] Ibid.
[4] The integrated GP database contained field reports and materials collected from conflict zones, such as training videos and original documents recovered from AQ training camps in Afghanistan.
[5] Muhammad Haniff Hassan and Mohamed Bin Ali, Questions & Answers on Jihad (Singapore: MUIS, 2007), https://counterideology2.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/booklet-jihad-english.pdf.
[6] International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), Report on a Workshop Organised by the FATA Secretariat Capacity Building Project (Singapore: RSIS, 2010), https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Report-1st-Strategic-Workshop-on-Rehabilitation-and-De-Radicalization-of-Militants-and-Extremist.pdf.
[7] Reflecting on ICPVTR’s achievements, the 2007 RSIS Annual Review observed: “With 31 staff from nine countries, it has truly become an international centre. Almost half its staff are Muslims and, for the first time since the inception of the centre, foreigners outnumber Singaporeans, making up 58% of total staff strength.” See S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), A Review of 2007 (Singapore: RSIS, 2008), p. 32, https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/pdf/RSIS%20Annual%20Review%202007.pdf.
[8] To build capacity, the Centre, for example, sent staff to the Philippines, Indonesia, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya and Saudi Arabia to understand rehabilitation efforts as well as assist in rehabilitation training in these countries.
[9] “Terrorism Analyst Training Course 2023,” S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), July 24, 2023, https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-event-article/rsis/terrorism-analyst-training-course-2023/.
[10] International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), A Decade of Counter-Terrorism Research and Education: 2002-2012 (Singapore: RSIS, 2012), https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/A-Decade-of-Counter-Terrorism-Research-and-Education.pdf.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid. With its deep understanding of threat networks in Asia, ICPVTR has also been invited to partner with the UK, the US, Australia and Japan in running training courses for their law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
[14] Tito’s doctoral thesis, Explaining Islamist Insurgencies: The Case of al-Jamaah al-Islamiyyah and the Radicalisation of the Poso Conflict, 2000-2007, was supervised by RSIS and published by Imperial College Press in September 2014.
[15] Ressa was Author-in-Residence at ICPVTR while writing From Bin Laden to Facebook, published in 2013. She is currently the CEO and Executive Editor of the social news network Rappler.
[16] Rohan Gunaratna, “ASEAN’s Greatest Counter-Terrorism Challenge: The Shift from ‘Need to Know’ to Smart to Share,” in Combatting Violent Extremism and Terrorism in Asia and Europe from Cooperation to Collaboration (Singapore: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Ltd and ICPVTR, 2018), pp. 111-128, https://www.kas.de/documents/288143/288192/Terrorism_Gunaratna.pdf/20fb5191-5289-d16e-a6c1-879a0442fbe4.
[17] “Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Countering Terrorism in ASEAN,” ASEAN, February 8, 2018, https://asean.org/speechandstatement/joint-statement-by-the-asean-defence-ministers-on-countering-terrorism-in-asean/.
