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The Problem with Fighting Islamist Terrorism

(Geopolitical Futures) George Friedman - The U.S. has been at war for nearly 15 years to end the threat of terrorism posed by jihadists. Yet the war is not being won and a stalemate is equivalent to a loss for the U.S. The essential problem has been a persistent misunderstanding of radical Islamism. It is a movement, not an organization. The operational focus for the U.S. has been the destruction of terrorist organizations. However, as one group is destroyed, another group arises in its name. For example, al-Qaeda is being replaced by the Islamic State. The real strength of Islamist terrorism is the movement that the organization draws itself from. So long as the movement is intact, any success at destroying an organization is, at best, temporary and, in reality, an illusion. The only option is to bring pressure on Muslim states to make war on the jihadists and on other strands of Islam to do so as well. The only way to eliminate this movement is for Muslims to do it.
2016-07-29 00:00:00
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