Laila Bokhari
Laila Bokhari is a research fellow with the Afghanistan and Pakistan Programme of the Department of Security and Crisis management, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). Her areas of research cover the phenomenon of terrorism, the study of radicalization and de-radicalization processes, and the evolution of radical Islamism and political violence with a particular focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan. From 2001-2009 she worked with the Terrorism and Security project of the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI). She is educated in international relations and security studies from the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Norway. Bokhari is a member of the Norwegian Government Commission on Security Policy and Disarmament, a member of the Advisory Board to the Pakistani Institute of Peace Studies, a consultant on radicalisation and violent extremism for the OSCE-ODIHR, and member of a NATO HFM/Task Group on Psychosocial, Organisational and Cultural aspects of Terrorism. From Dec 2006 - Jan 2008 worked with the UN al-Qaida/Taliban Monitoring Team in New York (United Nations Security Council Subsidiary Branch). The Team supports the 1267 Committee of the Security Council, and is part of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force of the UN Global Strategy on Counter-terrorism. Previous assignments also include work on counter-terrorism issues in the Middle East, South Asia and Europe for the European Commission, OSCE and NATO.
Bokhari is frequently used as a commentator to both national and international media on international terrorism, developments in Pakistan and the Taliban movement. She also lectures at national and international institutions and events. She has also consulted for a number of governments and private companies.
Examples of recent research include: “Explaining the Strength of the Pakistani Taliban” (forthcoming paper, StratCom), “Deradicalization and rehabilitation programmes targeting religious terrorists and extremists in the Muslim world” and “Pakistan: in search of a disengagement strategy”, both in Bjorgo and Horgan: Leaving terrorism Behind (Routledge, 2009), “Radical Islamism in Pakistan and Kashmir. From a local to a global Jihad?” FFI report May 2005 (in Norwegian), “Paths to Global jihad: Radicalisation and Recruitment to Terror Networks” FFI Report April 2006, “Fighting International terrorism – from military force to development assistance” FFI report June 2006 (in Norwegian), and “Waziristan – Impact of the Taliban Insurgency and the Stability of Pakistan” FFI Report October 2006. She is currently completing a book-project on terrorism and radicalisation in Pakistan.
