Stopping ISIS Recruitment Through Assimilation

(Originally aired Mar. 29, 2017) Guest: Efraim Benmelech, PhD, Professor of Finance, Northwestern University The man suspected of driving a pickup into a crowd in New York this week, killing 8 people, has been charged with terrorism offenses. He told investigators he was inspired by Islamic State videos and police say one of the suspect’s phones contained dozens of videos and images that appear to be ISIS-related propaganda.  ISIS has proven particularly savvy at using the internet to recruit people to its cause. The US and European countries are investing heavily in efforts to counter ISIS recruitment and prevent would-be martyrs from radicalizing. Efraim Benmelech of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management studies the economics of terrorism. His surprising conclusion is that wealthy, stable countries with small Muslim communities are those with the highest rates of radicalization. We spoke with him earlier this year in the wake of the ISIS attack that killed four people in London.