America's Endless War on Terrorism
Abstract
On 11 September 2001, 19 suicidal terrorists killed over 3000 innocent men, women, and children in the worst attack ever on American soil. For centuries, the weak have used terror in an attempt to solve political, economic and social problems. Religious fanaticism, ethnic-nationalism, political and revolutionary ideologies and greed variously motivate the endless nature of terrorism. Just as the weapons and the tactics to counter terrorism have evolved over the centuries, terrorism itself has evolved. From the use of short swords hidden under their clothing to the threat of the use of weapons of mass destruction, the terrorists have matched counter-terrorism tactics blow-by-blow. Individual terrorist groups, like belligerent armies, can be and have been defeated. Yet, terrorism, like war, will remain an unpleasant fact of global affairs. The nature of terrorism, the fact that the terrorist evolves, and the fact that terrorism produces entangling effects will prevent the U.S. from eliminating terrorism. Nevertheless, the risk to Americans being victims of terrorism's violence however can be contained and managed by applying defensive measures to reduce target vulnerability and by attacking the causes of terrorism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA402088
Entities
People
- Michael D. Enneking
Organizations
- United States Army War College