Muslim Brotherhood figure Tariq Ramadan will speak at the “Countering Insurgency and Terrorism Summit” in Stockholm in early March sponsored by the the Swedish National Defence College and the UK Defence Academy. The conference is described as follows:
This is a must attend event for those with responsibility for organising in the army, police and government to counter terrorism on complex operations in Iraq or Afghanistan or on the streets of Europe’s metropolitan areas.
It will give thoughtful and informed assessments of the current terrorist threat.
It will offer a presentation from a US Army operational commander preparing troops for Iraq.
It will offer insights into intelligence methodology against trans national threats
It will offer a realistic assessment of the likely use of CBRN
It will provide important information on why fundamentalism is attractive and how radicalisation can be countered.
It will discuss policing from experience across Europe’s metropolitan areas
It will present fresh ideas to and from operational commanders on the application of technology to counter insurgency/counter terrorism.
Attending the conference will be delegates from an unusually wide range of European and U.S. military, law enforcement, intelligence, and academic agencies including the following U.S. government representatives:
Bureau of Reclamation, United States Law Enforcement Administrator
Office of the Secretary of Defense, United States Africa Counterterrorism Director
United States Marine Corps Lt Col, Deputy Director Center for Irregular Warfare
US Army MANSCEN, Fort Leonard Wood Technical Director
In addition, State Department counter-terrorism advisor Dr David Kilcullen will be addressing the conference.
Ramadan’s topic is reported as “The challenge to Muslim leaders.” Ramadan himself is an extremely important figure within the Global Muslim Brotherhood network, perhaps best described as an independent power base with sufficient stature as the son of Said Ramadan, and the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood to challenge positions taken by important Brotherhood leaders. His statements and writings have been extensively analyzed and he has been accused by critics of promoting anti-Semitism and fundamentalism, albeit by subtle means. On the other hand, his supporters promote him as as example of an Islamic reformer who is in the forefront of developing a “Euro Islam. Given his prominent role in the Muslim Brotherhood and his extensive network of Brotherhood contacts, his presence at a conference to discuss cutting edge topics in the struggle against terrorism should at least raise the question of a possible security risk.