Combatting Terrorism: A New National Strategy.

Abstract

With the Cold War over, the instability of the new world 'disorder' has created a breeding ground for terrorist groups. The United States, as the lone remaining superpower, has increasingly become the target of international right-wing extremist groups seeking to strike a blow for their causes. Conducted by organized, highly trained, and technologically sophisticated paramilitary units, terrorism is in fact a form of warfare waged against the United States and its allies. But current U.S. policy toward terrorism, hampered by its reliance on diplomacy, sanctions, rules of law, and the cooperation of other nations, is ineffective in protecting U.S. interests and the lives of U.S. citizens. To respond effectively, the United States must add an unprecedented dimension to its counterterrorist policy and rise to the next level, a level above a mere criminal law enforcement approach to this threat. That dimension must be specified in a new national strategy that acknowledges terrorism as armed conflict. This strategy must assign the U.S. military a perpetual pro-active role as a deterrent and respondent to the terrorist threat.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA326896

Entities

People

  • Bruce A. Hoover

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Antiterrorism
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • Law Enforcement
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Strategy
  • National Security
  • Political Systems
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies