The Law Enforcement Approach to Terrorists Poses Serious Challenges
Jena McNeill /
If the experience of our closest allies in the war against terrorists is any indication, taking a pure law enforcement approach is dangerous, ill-advised, and might not bear much fruit. In the United Kingdom, of the 1,471 individuals arrested for alleged terrorist acts since September 11, 2001, only 340 suspects were charged with a terrorism-related crime. Of those 340 charged, only 196 terrorists were convicted. That means that the UK only achieved a 14% conviction rate for terrorism-related crimes.
Things aren’t any better in the Netherlands where of the 153 individuals arrested for terrorism-related crimes since 9/11, 44 individuals were charged and only 20 individuals were convicted of terrorism, or just 13%. (more…)