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DE RUEHRH #2476/01 3461459
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O 121459Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7232
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY 0187
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 002476 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR DAS GGRAY 
DEPT OF ENERGY PASS TO A/S KKOLEVAR, A/S KHARBERT, AND 
MWILLIAMSON 
S/CT FOR GFEIERSTEIN AND BAVERILL 
DS/ATA FOR KMALOY 
TREASURY PASS TO A/S CLOWERY 
DHS PASS TO TWARRICK AND DGRANT 
CIA PASS TO TCOYNE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017 
TAGS: KCIP EPET ENERG PTER ASEC SA
SUBJECT: MOI DISCUSSES DE-RADICALIZATION PROGRAMS DURING 
INTERGENCY VISIT 
 
REF: RIYADH 2474 
 
Classified By: DCM Michael Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 
(b) (c) and (d). 
 
   ¶1.  This cable has been cleared by S/CT Deputy Coordinator 
Feierstein. 
 
   ------- 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  During a December 3-5 Interagency visit (ref A) to 
discuss greater USG cooperation with the Ministry of Interior 
(MOI) on its modernization drive, Dr. Hadleg, Director of the 
MOI's Radical Ideology Department, made a presentation to the 
delegation on the SAG's approach to de-radicalization of 
Saudi extremists and the War of Ideas.  He highlighted the 
program's efforts to re-integrate participants into 
mainstream Saudi society, ensuring they  will forfeit 
substantial social and economic benefits if they returns to 
radicalism.  The MOI claims an 88 to 90 percent success rate 
in rehabilitating extremists, while cautioning there are "no 
guarantees."  MOI Major General Dr. Saad Al-Jabri noted he 
hoped the MOI might host a "best practices" conference in the 
area of de-radicalization, perhaps in the spring. 
----------------------------------- 
Program Based on Research Findings 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Dr. Hadleg overviewed the SAG's programs to 
rehabilitate young and impressionable recruits who had been 
employed by Islamic extremists, noting the SAG believed the 
"hard approach" is not the only approach to fighting 
extremism in society.  Dr. Hadleg described the extensive 
studies MOI has carried out on those recruited into extremist 
groups, and explained the structure of its de-radicalization 
program was based on its findings.  The MOI had identified a 
few key features of those recruited by extremist 
organizations: most were middle class or wealthier, late 
teens to early twenties, and at least high-school educated. 
As Saudi Arabia increasingly cracks down on extremist 
preaching in mosques in public, most were recruited on the 
internet. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
MOI's De-Radicalization Program Structure; 
Give Them Something to Lose 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C)  Dr. Hadleg highlighted some of the key features of 
the SAG's de-radicalization program: detainees under this 
program are not mixed with the general prison population of 
hardened criminals, but kept separate.  The program 
emphasizes outreach by imams to show extremists the errors in 
their religious judgments and interpretations of the Koran. 
Outreach by social workers, psychologists, and respected 
members of society are also part of the program.  The program 
features structured group discussion sessions in the morning, 
followed by sports and outdoor activities in the afternoon, 
with religious instruction in the evening.  For those who 
"graduate" successfully into re-integration into society, the 
MOI offers assistance with employment, marriage, and housing. 
 Dr. Hadleg also detailed the outreach to the detainees' 
tribes and families, with whom the MOI works closely to 
ensure participants do not return to an extremist path.  Each 
step of the program is designed to tightly bind the 
participant into mainstream Saudi society, and ensure he will 
forfeit substantial social and economic benefits if he 
returns to radicalism.  He specifically noted that 
 
RIYADH 00002476  002 OF 002 
 
 
participants are encouraged to marry, have children, and seek 
employment or further education. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
MOI claims an 88 to 90% Success Rate, 
But There are no Guarantees 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  The MOI claims an 88 to 90 percent success rate in 
rehabilitating extremists who pass through their program, but 
Dr. Hadleg offered careful caveats, noting "there are no 
guarantees."  He indicated the man who carried out the 
bombing attacked on the MOI building in 2004 had participated 
in the rehabilitation program.  More optimistically, he noted 
that the Guantanamo returnees had demonstrated no mis-conduct 
to date.  Dr. Hadleg clarified that merely participating in 
the program did not automatically entitle a prisoner to 
release.  Generally, those determined to be ringleaders will 
not be eligible for release. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Reaching Out to Other Nations for 
"Best Practices" in De-Radicalization 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  NEA Deputy Assistant Secretary Gray asked if the SAG 
has shared information or best practices with other 
countries, such as Egypt, which has an active 
de-radicalization program.  Dr. Al-Jabri responded that he 
would welcome the opportunity to host a workshop or forum on 
de-radicalization initiatives, perhaps in the spring, for 
affected countries in both the Arab world and the west, to 
share experiences and best practices.  S/CT Deputy 
Coordinator  Feierstein noted that there was broad 
recognition that Saudi Arabia was a leader in 
de-radicalization initiatives, with Morocco being another 
example in the Near East region of a government with a 
successful program. 
 
¶7.  (C)  In discussing the propensity for violence in rapidly 
modernizing societies, Dr. Hadlag remarked that, "Saudi 
Arabia is different because it is based on Islam, and we are 
modernizing in a gradual way so that we do not have the same 
social problems."  Dr. Al-Jabri stated that "Saudi Arabia has 
always been a conservative society, but not a violent one." 
He went on to explain the religious roots of Wahabism, which 
emphasize that even though you may dis-agree with the 
government, you do not have the right to attack it. 
 
FRAKER