Experts: U.S. Must Win 'War of Ideas'
16 June Christian Science Monitor - Experts: U.S. Must Win 'War of Ideas' by Tom Regan.
Quote:
In a survey of 117 of
America's leading foreign-policy experts, both conservative and liberal, The Toronto Star reports that a large majority of those polled (84 percent) believe that the US is
not winning the war on terror. And most of the experts surveyed believe that if the US is to win that larger war, it must first win the 'war of ideas' through the use of 'non-military tools' like diplomacy and multilateral organizations...
The survey, conducted by Foreign Policy magazine and the Center for American Progress, targeted people who have "run America's security apparatus over the past 50 years." Organizers describe the survey as the first of an annual series to establish a “terrorism index.” Those surveyed include individuals who have worked as secretary of state, national security adviser, retired top commanders from the US military, seasoned members of the intelligence community, and distinguished academics and journalists. More than half of those interviewed have worked for the executive branch, one-third have served in the US military and 17 percent have served in the intelligence community.
The experts warn that the war on terror is really just beginning, just as Americans appear to be "growing tired" of it. They say that America must win the war of ideas, and in order to do that, need to place a greater emphasis on nonmilitary tools. They also called on the government to think more creatively about the real threats to America - half of those surveyed say that "loose nukes and other weapons of mass destruction" pose the great long-term threat, while only 25 percent said Al Qaeda and terorism, and four percent said Iran...
