More Nations Are Better Than One To Combat Terrorism
With the series of brutal beheadings by ISIS that shocked the international community for the past few weeks, the United States of America made a commitment to counter violent extremism by building and strengthening global partnership.
In his remarks in Washington DC on White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, Secretary of State John Kerry said no one country, no one army, no one group is going to be able to respond to the surge of extremism alone.
“And we see that in the numbers of countries that are now being touched by it.” – Secretary Kerry
He highlighted that US is encouraging the most credible leaders and spokespersons to penetrate the barrier of terrorist lies. And there is a need to support the right people saying the right things all the time.
In addition, the partnership against violent extremism that the US is assembling has room for anyone who is willing to respect the fundamental rights and dignity of other human beings.
Global Partnership Against Violent Extremism
Highlighting that the rise of terrorism is not a battle between the US and ISIS only, the White House hosted a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism to highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists.
The summit brought together leading figures from local and national governments, civil society, and the private sector around the world.
In addition, the summit at the White House and State Department will expand the global conversation and, more important, adopt an action agenda that identifies, shares and utilizes best practices in preventing and countering violent extremism.
An op-ed by Secretary Kerry stressed that this week’s summit won’t solve all these problems, but it can catalyze a global effort.
He emphasized that there are roles for everyone, from religious and government leaders to academics, NGOs and the private sector.
“Our collective security depends on our collective response.” – Secretary Kerry
The Rise Of Violent Extremism Represents The Preeminent Challenge Of The 21st Century
Violent extremism has threatened communities around the world. In fact, it has claimed lives in every corner of the globe, and Muslim lives most of all. The series of beheadings by ISIS in Iraq has sparked outraged around the world and threatened all,
regardless of ethnicity, faith or homeland.
Al-Qaida’s Violent Extremist Narratives Still Present in Many Communities
The US asserted that violent extremism presence is not fading with the international community’s success against al-Qaeda (AQ), its affiliates, and its adherents, as well as other terrorist groups.
In fact, the loss of Osama bin Laden puts al-Qaeda on a path of decline that it probably cannot reverse.
Osama Bin Laden, terrorist and architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a fire-fight with elite American forces, then quickly buried at sea on April 2011.
The factors that make some populations vulnerable to internalizing the worldview expressed by the AQ and other violent extremist narratives are still present in many communities.
Moreover, the international community has become so adept at tactical counterterrorism that countries haven’t focused sufficiently on the need to defeat terrorists at the strategic level.
There is a need to undercut ideological and rhetorical underpinnings that make the violent extremist worldview attractive to some individuals and groups while also addressing local grievances and other factors.
The US has emphasized that as a global community, there is a need to do a better job of diminishing the drivers of violent extremism and demonstrably reduce the effectiveness of terrorist propaganda.
Thus, radicalization is often driven by factors at the local level and to be effective, countering extremism needs to be driven by local needs, informed by local knowledge, and responsive to the immediate concerns of the community.
Countering violent extremism is a top priority at the State Department, and increasingly for other parts of the U.S. government.
