Appendix A - Workshop agenda
Al-Qaeda, ISIL and Their Offspring Understanding the Reach and Expansion of Violent Islamist Extremism
A workshop of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
29 February 2016
CSIS National Headquarters, Ottawa
Program
08:30 – 08:45 Structure and objectives of the workshop
08:45 – 10:15 Module 1 – The state of play in Syria and Iraq
- Sustaining the Islamic State, and Al-Qaeda’s footprint on the ground: Current state and future prospects
- Understanding the foreign-fighter phenomenon
- The Al-Nusra Front and the impact of air campaigns
10:15 - 11:00 On-Stage Debate – Dangerous Liaisons: Will Al-Qaeda and ISIL strike a grand bargain?
11:00 – 11:15 Break
11:15 – 12:00 Keynote address – Après Paris: ISIL’s evolving strategy against the West
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 14:30 Module 2 – Local Roots, Global Aspirations: Emerging theatres of concern around the world
- Libya
- The Sinai Peninsula
- Indonesia
14:30 – 14:45 Break
14:45 – 15:45 Module 3 – Motives and Messaging: Understanding and escaping the pervasive propaganda machine
- ISIL’s propaganda and messaging
- Why do fighters leave ISIL?
15:45 – 16:45 Module 4 – Strategic Trends: Implications of Al-Qaeda and ISIL’s resilience and reach
- How to tackle the situation at home
- Long-term approaches to the problem in the Middle East
16:45 – 17:00 Summary and closing remarks
17:00 Adjourn