Confronting Al Qaeda

Blending academic objectivity with a clear agenda to devise a new strategic U.S. approach to Al Qaeda, the author proposes policy options for confronting terrorism. He asserts that Al Qaeda is primarily a political threat, rather than a military one. Only by drawing on traditional U.S. foreign policy values and addressing the key political disputes that drive the conflict can the United States undercut Al Qaeda's power and influence. He argues that not only will such an approach weaken the terrorist organization's internal cohesion and politically isolate Al Qaeda from the public that hides and assist it, but it will also stunt terrorism's subversive effects on the American political character.