Terrorism - A New Age of War: Is The United States Up To The Challenge

摘要

The U.S. is being drawn ever deeper into the war on terrorism. Terrorism is predicted to be the primary threat to the U.S. for the foreseeable future. The recent attacks on the U.S. homeland, the USS Cole bombing, and the U.S. embassy bombings in Africa indicate that the stakes are getting higher and higher. The war in Afghanistan demonstrates to the world our resolve in winning the war. But this is only a first step. The war on terrorism will likely be long term and will not be won easily. This is a new kind of war. It will not only be fought on a traditional battlefield with traditional opponents with traditional weapons. It will also be fought on Main Street America and in cyberspace and it will be fought against opponents we can't see or even envision. It will be won with technology, some of which is yet to be developed. But this war will only be as effective as the policies guiding it. The instruments of power must be wielded in new and different ways to achieve our goals. Significant changes in policies and strategies are required to effectively utilize and synergize all the instruments of power. This paper will evaluate current and evolving policies and trends with respect to counterterrorism.