Usama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, declared war on the United States in a statement issued in August 1996. With the words, "It is a duty now on every tribe in the Arab Peninsula to fight in the cause of Allah and to cleanse the land from...
Criticism and condemnation of al-Qaeda that originate from the worldwide Muslim community present the most formidable challenge to its existence and legitimacy as an organization and movement. There is ample literature that questions whether or not...
With the current U.S. troop surge in Iraq, offensive operations have critically impacted the insurgency. Despite media reports, combatant commanders believe that the Al-Qaeda network in Iraq has been shattered. Statistics indicate the demise of the...
Most Americans do not support further offensive operations in Iraq largely because of the cost. However, offensive operations should continue because freedom and security are not free and the price is necessary for global security. The effects of...
After ten years of global conflict with al Qaeda, the time has come to reassess the threat and determine the parameters within which it operates. Questions regarding its continued validity as a threat, its capability to employ synchronized tactical...
The terrorist attacks on 9/11 underscored the vulnerability of the U.S. homeland. In response to those attacks and to protect the homeland, U.S. policy-makers created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for homeland security, and...
America's recent experience in Afghanistan and Iraq proved that it is easier to get into war than it is to get out of it. These two conflicts bleed America, in terms of not only blood, but also its financial treasures. In an attempt to avoid these...
Osama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri enticed tens of thousands of Muslims from around the world to travel to Afghanistan, swear allegiance to bin Laden and the cause of Al Qaeda, fight and even die for that cause. Bin Laden united faithful...
In the contemporary environment of Global War on Terror, there is a growing perception of a linkage between Islamic teachings and terrorism. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the vulnerability of Islamic doctrine and teachings to...
This monograph examines the Arab Spring in light of the past half century of efforts in transnational Arab identity formation and thus considers its links to Arab Nationalism and Pan-Islamism. Then, with a focus on Syria and the sectarian nature of...
America's strategy to combat terrorism, resulting from Al-Qaeda's 2001 attacks, falls short of its intent to defeat transnational terrorism. While the tenets of the current counterterrorism strategy were written broadly to enable global employment,...
The U.S. (U.S.) Government’s ability to influence friends and foes around the world has immense strategic implications that can either enhance U.S. strategic objectives or contribute to a loss of U.S. power. Nine years after the beginning of the...
The United States is now in the eighth year of the Global War on Terror (GWOT). For America, the war began with the surprise attacks against targets in Washington D.C. and New York City on September 11, 2001. For al Qaeda, the war began centuries...
Family and Future: Five Assignments for Future Leaders. U.S. Representative Ike Skelton; The ranking minority member of the House Armed Services Committee offers assignment advice to Command and General Staff College graduates.
Several recent targeting studies have fundamentally shaken the Air Force to its core by challenging the service's ability to employ precision munitions. The erosion of the targeting skill sets occurred gradually. Protracted low-intensity conflict...
Prior to President Obama halting all ongoing military commissions, the United States charged six Guantanamo Bay prisoners with capital crimes. Further, his latest policy directive for new military commission rules has not excluded the death penalty...
Addendum: Anbar awakens. Colonel Sean MacFarland, U.S. Army; A major player in the Anbar Awakening recalls how joint-force cooperation led to the turnaround in Ramadi.
The most important thing: legislative reform of the national security...
Lieberman, Joseph I.; Collins, Susan M.; U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
On November 5, 2009, a lone attacker strode into the deployment center at Fort Hood, Texas. Moments later, 13 Department of Defense (DoD) employees were dead and another 32 were wounded in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11,...
Tactical leader lessons learned in Afghanistan: operation enduring freedom VIII. Colonel William B. Ostlund, U.S. Army; During its 15 months in Afghanistan, the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, spent 90 percent of its time training...