America’s ongoing war on terror still requires critical questions and analyses

WASHINGTON D.C., 30 April 2012 – Today, the American Security Project released a collection of essays about the current state of the War on Terror one year after the death of Osama Bin Laden. On May 1^st, 2011, Osama Bin Laden was killed during Operation Neptune Spear in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The year anniversary of bin Laden’s death offers us an opportunity to see where we stand in the global struggle against violent extremism.

These essays discuss the War on Terror from various angles such as the growing counter-terrorism industry and whether the United States is winning the war. Terrorism is still a relevant national security issue that needs to be continually discussed and this set of essays further enhances this important discourse.

Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.), CEO of the American Security Project said:

“At the one-year mark after bin Laden’s death, we need to take a step back and see where we stand.”

He continued:

“As long we continue to struggle against violent extremism, we need to continue to ask critical questions about the progress of the fight and whether the current strategy is working. This collection of essays assembles a broad range of experts to propose the necessary questions that should be asked.”  

Joshua Foust, ASP Fellow for Asymmetric Operations and editor of the collection said:

“The global struggle against violent extremism has proceeded with very little critical study. It’s past time to ask some hard questions about what we’re doing and what we want to accomplish.”

He continued:

“The current discussion over the war of terror sometimes does not ask the proper questions about the war. In this set of essays, we have brought together experts who are not afraid to ask the questions that need to be asked. Their thoughts provide intriguing ways to look at America’s progress on the war on terror and posit improvements to the current strategy.” 

You can find the collection here

Essays include:

Bernard Finel: Measuring Success in Counterterrorism

Matthew Wallin: The Voice of Terrorism

Carolyn Deady: Osama bin Laden and the Fight for Public Opinion

August Cole: The Explosive Growth of the Counterterrorism Industrial Complex

Terri Lodge & Bryan Gold: The World is Coming Around to Nuclear Security

Randy Law: America’s Deadly Amnesia

Joshua Foust: Thought Crimes and Terror Trials

John Adams: How to Negotiate with Terrorists

Authors

Joshua Foust: “Thought crimes, double standards, and abusive laws should not define our fight against jihadist terrorism – sound principles and fair laws should.”

Joshua Foust is a Fellow at the American Security Project and the author of Afghanistan Journal: Selections from Registan.net. He is also a correspondent for The Atlantic and a columnist for PBS Need to Know. Joshua is currently researching the role of entrepreneurship in national security strategy, on the development of metrics in understanding national security policy, and on non-military implementations of foreign policy doctrine.

Bernard Finel: “Any claims to success against al Qaeda have to be muted.”

Dr. Bernard Finel is an associate professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College and an adjunct senior fellow at ASP. He was Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the American Security Project (ASP) from late 2006 to August 2010. He is the lead author of ASP’s annual report, “Are We Winning? Measuring Progress in the Struggle against Violent Jihadism.”

Matthew Wallin: “The most notable revolution in public diplomacy in the 21st century has been the ability of terrorists to use it as a strategic instrument in the pursuit of power.”

Matthew Wallin is a policy analyst at the American Security Project. He joined ASP in the fall of 2011 as a research intern for ASP’s Nuclear Security Initiative, assisting with various ASP publications including the Nuclear Security Index. His areas of expertise include public diplomacy, military history and national security policy.

Carolyn Deady: “Americans don’t seem to know whether they are winning or losing the struggle against Islamist terrorism.”

Carolyn Deady is an adjunct fellow at ASP. Ms. Deady is a freelance journalist and former international producer at C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) in Washington, DC. While at C-SPAN, she was the liaison with world legislatures, obtaining coverage of parliamentary proceedings for broadcast.

August Cole: “Many of the country’s most sensitive missions have been performed by government contractors in roles that would have raised eyebrows prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.”

August Cole is a writer focusing on national security issues and an adjunct fellow at ASP. He is currently writing a series of novels about private military contractors involved in covert and clandestine intelligence operations for the U.S. His research centers on how operational and policy priorities, political shifts and budget cuts impact the defense industry and U.S. national security.

Terri Lodge & Bryan Gold

 “A nuclear weapon in the hands of terrorists is a clear and immediate national security threat not just for the United States, but countries around the world.”

Terri Lodge is the Director for Nuclear Security at ASP and has worked on nuclear issues for many years at various institutions including the US State Department, where she worked for Assistant Secretary Rose Gottemoeller and to help ensure New START ratification.

Bryan Gold is an adjunct junior fellow and research intern at ASP. He is currently working towards his MA in United States Foreign Policy at American University.

Randy Law: “America has a century-long penchant for embarking on imperialistic adventures that prompt Americans to learn – but then just as quickly forget – how to fight against insurgencies and terrorism.”

Dr. Randall Law is an Associate Professor of History at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama and an adjunct fellow at ASP. He is the author of Terrorism: A History and he is currently conducting research on terrorism and political violence in the city of Odessa in the Russian empire early in the twentieth century.

John Adams: “When we refuse to negotiate with terrorists, we limit our own tactical options.”

BGen John Adams, USA(Retired) is a member of the Consensus for American Security and served in the Army for over 30 years in various assignments all over the world. His final military assignment was as Deputy United States Military Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee in Brussels, Belgium, the highest military authority of NATO.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SECURITY PROJECT

The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.

For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org.

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