UNIPATH STAFF
Kazakhstan is a global leader in solving problems related to terrorism, including the repatriation, criminal prosecution and reintegration of Daesh fighters from Syria and Iraq.
That was the opinion of Nathan Sales, then-U.S. ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State, in an interview with Kazakh journalists.
According to a State Department report on global terrorism issued in June 2020, Kazakhstan remains vigilant about militants returning to the country from the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Despite concerns about potential domestic terrorist attacks stemming from the repatriation of nearly 600 Kazakhstani nationals from Syria and Iraq in 2019, no such attacks took place in the months after their return.
Kazakhstan has earned high marks for its five-year anti-terrorism and anti-extremism program adopted in 2018. Kazakh authorities tried to ensure that Kazakh citizens who enlisted with the terrorists were brought to justice if found guilty of crimes. Nonviolent returnees who expressed regret for their actions could reintegrate into Kazakh society.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February 2020, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan’s counterterrorism efforts served as a model not only for Central Asia but the world. He expressed gratitude to the United States for helping repatriate Kazakh citizens.
The U.S. State Department noted the effectiveness of Kazakh counterterrorism policies that involved local religious experts in social media campaigns to educate the public about extremism.
Sources: Inbusiness.kz, 24.kz