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of greater opportunities to women--these cures must come from within Mus-
lim societies themselves.The United States must support such developments.
But this process is likely to be measured in decades, not years. It is a process
that will be violently opposed by Islamist terrorist organizations, both inside
Muslim countries and in attacks on the United States and other Western
nations.The United States finds itself caught up in a clash within a civilization.
That clash arises from particular conditions in the Muslim world, conditions
that spill over into expatriate Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries.
Our enemy is twofold: al Qaeda, a stateless network of terrorists that struck
us on 9/11; and a radical ideological movement in the Islamic world, inspired
in part by al Qaeda, which has spawned terrorist groups and violence across
the globe.The first enemy is weakened, but continues to pose a grave threat.
The second enemy is gathering, and will menace Americans and American
interests long after Usama Bin Ladin and his cohorts are killed or captured.Thus
our strategy must match our means to two ends: dismantling the al Qaeda net-
work and prevailing in the longer term over the ideology that gives rise to
Islamist terrorism.
Islam is not the enemy. It is not synonymous with terror. Nor does Islam
teach terror.America and its friends oppose a perversion of Islam, not the great
world faith itself. Lives guided by religious faith, including literal beliefs in holy
scriptures, are common to every religion, and represent no threat to us.
Other religions have experienced violent internal struggles.With so many
diverse adherents, every major religion will spawn violent zealots.Yet under-
standing and tolerance among people of different faiths can and must prevail.
The present transnational danger is Islamist terrorism.What is needed is a
broad political-military strategy that rests on a firm tripod of policies to
· attack terrorists and their organizations;
· prevent the continued growth of Islamist terrorism; and
· protect against and prepare for terrorist attacks.
More Than a War on Terrorism
Terrorism is a tactic used by individuals and organizations to kill and destroy.
Our efforts should be directed at those individuals and organizations.
Calling this struggle a war accurately describes the use of American and
allied armed forces to find and destroy terrorist groups and their allies in the
field, notably in Afghanistan.The language of war also evokes the mobilization
for a national effort.Yet the strategy should be balanced.
The first phase of our post-9/11 efforts rightly included military action to
topple the Taliban and pursue al Qaeda.This work continues. But long-term
success demands the use of all elements of national power: diplomacy, intelli-
WHAT TO DO? A GLOBAL STRATEGY
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