A Proposed Grand Strategy for Defeating Bin Laden and His Al Qaeda Network

Abstract

This paper examines Osama bin Laden, his al Qaeda network and the corresponding strategic context; examines the United States' goals and interests; and applies the concept of center of gravity to develop a grand strategy for their defeat. Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda represent an insurgency aimed at the governments of Muslim countries with the ultimate goal of establishing a pan-Islamic caliphate. Assuming that the U.S. is committed to long-term victory in fighting this war, it must apply national instruments of power to simultaneously improve the legitimacy of those governments while de-legitimizing the Islamist threat. In addition to U.S. commitment, victory will depend on those governments' recognition of the threat, their commitment to defeat it, and ultimately upon Islam's rejection of 'Islamism', or political Islam.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA404667

Entities

People

  • Mark A. Johnstone

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Law
  • Middle East
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Personnel Management
  • Schools
  • Societies
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.