[REPORT] Are We Winning? (2008)

The “war on terror” has morphed from an imprecise, but comprehensible, concept into little more than a cudgel to be wielded in American domestic political debates by both the left and the right. What ought to be a policy debate over threats and consequences, risks and capabilities, ends and means is instead, too often, an opportunistic weapon used without reference to logic or facts in order to gain political advantage. The result is a dizzying set of changing assessments that encourage skepticism and cynicism instead of consistency and clarity.

Ultimately, any approach to the challenge posed by violent jihadists must acknowledge several basic propositions:

First, the threat is very real and likely to endure.

Second, any progress is likely to be incremental and will require years of prudence and consistency to institutionalize.

Third, our adversaries are strategically savvy and will continually adapt to our actions to achieve their goals. Complacency can quickly turn into catastrophe.

Our goal in the “Are We Winning?” series is to provide empirical data as the foundation of reasoned discussion and principled debate. To this end, the American Security Project has developed ten criteria to measure progress – or lack of progress – in the struggle against violent jihadism. These metrics are designed to be both reproducible and as objective as possible. They are intended to comprise a holistic approach, examining causes and processes associated with violent jihadism, in addition to outcomes.

You can download the full report here.

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