Defeating Militant Islamic Extremists
Abstract
President Bush proclaimed America will win the war against terrorism. This war is further defined as a war against terrorists, specifically Militant Islamic Extremists. The September 11th terrorist attack elevated a new world-organizing ideology, Militant Islamic Extremism. The paper is limited to analyzing only the dominant capabilities of the Osama bin Laden - Al Queada brand of Militant Islamic Extremism. The focus is on determining the centrally dominant capability from which these terrorists derive their will-desire-ability to fight. The methodology sets the analysis in a national strategic context. An analysis model based on a wagon wheel is developed to effectively analyze dominant capabilities. Developing the analysis model involves a six-step process with appropriate driving questions. Actual model development begins with determining the enemy's desired end state, which is always shaped by ideological values. The first step in determining the enemy's end state is to translate a conflict between ideological values into a conflict between people - to define the war. A continuum of ideologies is described with the American ideology at one end, the Militant Islamic Extremist ideology at the opposite end, and the Central Muslim ideology in the middle. Dominant American values are freedom and equality. Dominant Central Muslim values are fairness and justice. The dominant Militant Islamic Extremist value is implementing Islam by force. 'Moderate' Muslims are caught in the middle of this ideological conflict and the ideological continuum is adjusted to show their challenge. The analysis is conducted using the wagon wheel analysis model. The enemy's desired end state is the creation of a new Islamic, world-dominating, super-theocracy ruled by Islamic clerics and not bound by state boundaries. The enemy's method is international terrorism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA402073
Entities
People
- Dick Pedersen
Organizations
- United States Army War College