The fight against Al Qaeda and its associated groups, spearheaded by the United States, has met with partial successes and failures. Although declaring war on Iraq was an errant overreaction to 9/11, to withdraw now would be fatal. Indeed, the present deadlines for troop withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan are unrealistic. Like the Soviets in Afghanistan in a war-fighting role or NATO in Bosnia in a peacekeeping role, the Western powers and their Muslim partners must remain engaged in these two theaters. The effectiveness of the fight against Al Qaeda and its associated groups is strictly dependent on the long-term cooperation and coordination to share intelligence and conduct operations against terrorist groups and suppress their support bases. To succeed, it is paramount that the United States maintain a robust anti-terrorism coalition, particularly the support of the Middle Eastern and Asian Muslim governments. By resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and by investing in public diplomacy (as opposed to government-to-government relations), the United States can seek to change its image from an aggressor to a friend in the Muslim world. - page xxi.
Presents a comprehensive study on global terrorism and counterterrorism, types and causes of terrorism, recruitment techniques, training and weaponry, moral and legal issues, profiles of leaders and organizations, and government agencies.
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