Attacking Islamic Terrorism's Strategic Center of Gravity

Abstract

Abstract : The strategic center of gravity for militant Islamic terrorist groups is the popular support of the Muslim world. Popular support provides the terrorists invaluable sources of funding, manpower, legitimacy, and the real potential to threaten entrenched governments in Muslim countries. Without this popular support, Osama bin Laden and other violent global Muslims will not be able to achieve their desired end-state. In the strategic war against international Islamic terrorists, the United States and her coalition partners will have to carefully balance the application of national power to successfully reduce long-term Muslim support for radical Islam. Military power will be of limited utility in this greater strategic struggle. While the United States can choose many different courses of action to degrade popular support for radical Islam, it can best attack this center of gravity by strongly encouraging reform in Islamic states, with the goal of achieving more representative governments. America should focus on improving basic conditions necessary for democratic growth; promoting the development of political institutions required for representative government; and directing efforts on several of the more important Islamic countries. Success will require great patience and purposeful effort.