[2] He is notable for leading a Yemeni jihadist rehabilitation program, called the "Committee for Religious Dialogue".
[3] According to a Newsweek article, Al-Hitar was an admirer of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdul Nasser in his youth.
[3] Al-Hitari acknowledged that his first deradicalization program consisted mostly of senior religious clerics engaging in "theological duels" with the jihadist prisoners.
Al-Hitari answered Shephard's questions about a report from the Countering Terrorism Center at West Point, that described his first anti-jihadist program as a failure.
[3] Al-Hitari was asked about the criticism in the West Point report that his rehabilitation program had focused merely on persuading the prisoners that Yemen should not be the target of jihad inspired violence, but it didn't spend enough energy curbing the prisoners desire to attack targets outside of Yemen.