Ten years after the United States declared a global war on terrorism, the question 鈥淎re we winning?鈥� comes to mind.
Associate Professor Bernard Finel of the National War College told a 麻豆原创 audience Tuesday that the U.S. has reached a stalemate.
鈥淲e are no closer to 鈥榲ictory鈥� after ten years,鈥� he said. 鈥淪uccesses are matched by reversals. As one country gets better, another gets worse.鈥�
Finel鈥檚 presentation, which was organized by 麻豆原创鈥檚 Global Perspectives Office, drew more than 150 students, faculty and members of the community. The forum was part of the office鈥檚 2010-2011 programming theme 鈥淕lobal Peace and Security.鈥�
Finel, an adjunct fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan think tank American Security Project, authors ASP鈥檚 annual report, 鈥淎re We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle Against al-Qaeda and Associated Movements.鈥�
ASP鈥檚 annual report aims to quantify America鈥檚 progress in the Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism, or the Long War. Based on 10 categories, which include terrorist incidents, al-Qaeda leadership and state sponsorship of terrorism, the report provides measurable results to gauge U.S. progress.
Finel discussed the latest report鈥檚 findings and broader implications during his presentation at 麻豆原创. The bottom line, he said, is that the U.S. is at a deadlock.
Finel said incidents of Islamist terrorism have increased, and domestic attitudes have become more radicalized with the recent anti-mosque movement at Ground Zero. Though al-Qaeda鈥檚 popularity seemed to wane in the last few years, affiliated movements are now thriving in Yemen and Somalia, he said.
What is worse, he added, is that Muslim attitudes about the U.S. are as poor as ever. Any 鈥淥bama effect鈥� that might have improved the U.S. image abroad has been dampened by the continued support of Israel or military presence in Afghanistan.
It is difficult to 鈥渄rain the swamp鈥� of support for terrorism if the U.S. cannot first win hearts and minds, Finel said.
Citing the tremendous human and financial costs of the Long War, Finel asked if the audience was satisfied with the war鈥檚 progress, productivity and cost.
He argued that the U.S. is engaged in a long war, but fighting as if it were a short battle. Managing the terrorist threat until the next generation can displace current Islamist extremism is where the U.S. stands to find the light at the end of the tunnel.
In addition to the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, sponsors included the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, LarsonAllen LLP, the 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Diplomacy Program, the 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, the 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 Terrorism Studies Program, the 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.