Maintaining the Momentum: A Counterterrorism Cycle for the Next Decade.

摘要

Major combat operations will end in Afghanistan, but al Qaeda and other terrorist groups will still pose a threat to the United States beyond 2014. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States government evolved to ensure success against the terrorist threat. Despite these transformations, the evolution of U.S. counterterrorism efforts is not complete. Interviews by the authors with twenty senior counterterrorism officials revealed that U.S. counterterrorism strategy lacks an effective implementation of five essential elements. The authors propose a CT Cycle consisting of the optimization of these five elements and demonstrate that this cycle was present in Iraq from 2005-2009. Although not all operational lessons learned are applicable, the authors call on policymakers to optimize U.S. counterterrorism efforts by adapting all five elements of this cycle at the strategic level in Washington D.C. and in operating environments beyond combat zones: (1) understand the environment; (2) invest despite the risk; (3) maintain a strategy of sustained pressure; (4) decentralize decision-making processes; and (5) reinforce a network of relationships.