Policy Brief

Responding to Foreign Terrorist Fighters: A Risk-Based Playbook for States and the International Community

Author : Sean Davis
Date : November 2014

UN Security Council Resolution 2178 is an important part of the global civilian effort to reduce the threat from foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere. This policy brief outlines a targeted and risk-based approach for states to follow in implementing the Resolution 2178 using civilian counterterrorism tools, including law enforcement and border security, and relevant practices from outside standard counterterrorism operations, such as community engagement. It concludes by outlining an approach to strengthening international cooperation on FTF issues that takes advantage of recently established elements of the global counterterrorism architecture, notably the GCTF and the institutions and good practices it has inspired, such as the Hague-Marrakech memorandum.

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