We Need a ‘Reset’ for the War on Terror, Author Says,
Washington, D.C. – Some of the United States’ top national security specialists agree with the sobering conclusions reached by distinguished author Ilan Berman in his new book, Winning the Long War: Retaking the Offensive Against Radical Islam. To wit:
- The United States is losing the War on Terror
- We cannot win unless we fundamentally change our approach
- Jihadist ideology is an illegitimate interpretation of Islam, offers a bankrupt future, and we have the tools to marginalize it
Berman is an expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Russian Federation. He has consulted for both the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense and provided assistance on foreign policy and national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices.
When Berman speaks, officials in the U.S. defense, security and intelligence communities listen. In his day job, Berman is Vice President for Policy of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, D.C., and he’s the author or editor of three previous books on tyrannical regimes, radical Islam and terrorist threats.
Robert C. McFarlane, former National Security Advisor to President Reagan, found unsettling truth in the pages of Berman’s Winning the Long War: Retaking the Offensive Against Radical Islam.
“This global struggle for the heart and soul of Islam bodes fair to change the course of history—and thus far, we in the West are losing,” McFarlane said. “In his absorbing and rigorous examination of where we stand in this battle of ideas, Ilan Berman documents an alarming litany of failures on our side. The power of this remarkable book lies, however, in Berman’s prescriptions which, if adopted, are a basis for optimism that it’s not too late.”
Winning the Long War was eight years in the making. Berman describes it as “among the most challenging tasks I have ever undertaken.” He spent years analyzing transnational trends and cross-cutting issues affecting U.S. security.
“Every one – terrorism, proliferation, radical Islam, etc. – is a facet of the struggle we have found ourselves in as a nation since September 11th,” Berman said, adding that his revelations came as he weaved them together “into something resembling a coherent strategy. My hope is that, in some small way, it helps readers to get the ‘big picture’ of the War on Terror and what we have to do in order to win it.”
Berman serves as Adjunct Professor for International Law and Global Security at the National Defense University and is a member of the Associated Faculty at Missouri State University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. He is also a member of the reconstituted Committee on the Present Danger and Editor of The Journal of International Security Affairs.
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TIP SHEET:
Thomas J. Ridge, Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security: “The struggle against radical Islam is not limited to al-Qaeda or confined to Afghanistan and Iraq. The enemy is global. The challenge is multi-generational. The outcome remains uncertain. Ilan Berman argues persuasively that our strategic approach must be revisited and the rules of engagement changed. He offers a provocative, insightful and scholarly blueprint for defeating the enemy in the intellectual, economic, diplomatic, and political theaters of this confrontation.”
Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., U.S. Senate Minority Whip: “Berman is right when he writes that military force alone will not be enough to defeat this enemy; we must also employ economic and ideological tools. Sadly, when we have used these tools, we have usually failed to do so effectively. Winning the Long War shows policymakers across the political spectrum what to do to win this war.”
Robert C. McFarlane, Former National Security Advisor to President Reagan: “Islam is undergoing what once in America was called a ‘revival,’ the outcome of which will determine whether the overwhelming majority of moderate Muslims remain so. This global struggle for the heart and soul of Islam bodes fair to change the course of history—and thus far we in the West are losing. In this absorbing and rigorous examination of where we stand in this battle of ideas, Ilan Berman documents an alarming litany of failures on our side. The power of this remarkable book lies, however, in Berman’s prescriptions which, if adopted, are a basis for optimism that it’s not too late. Read it.”
Brad Sherman, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade: “Berman offers a complete and coherent strategy for the so-called Long War, a struggle against radical Islam that will last decades. Most importantly, he has put forth a vision for countering our adversaries by demonstrating to their target audience that the jihadist ideology is an illegitimate interpretation of Islam and offers a bankrupt future. Very few writing in this area have tied together all the elements of a successful counter-terrorism strategy—political, diplomatic, law enforcement and especially economic. Berman has.”
