Uniting Against Terror

Cooperative Nonmilitary Responses to the Global Terrorist Threat

October 2007 By David Cortright, George A. Lopez Foreword by the Hon. Lee H. Hamilton America's dead-end reliance on military approaches to counter terrorism and the Bush administration's avowal of a constant state of war have overshadowed nonmilitary, multilateral efforts, and precipitated an analogous neglect of alternative strategies in the literature on terrorism. Uniting Against Terror: Cooperative Nonmilitary Solutions to the Global Terrorist Threat examines and evaluates post–9/11 cooperative nonmilitary responses to global terrorism. With a particular focus on efforts of the United Nations, the Financial Action Task Force, the European Union, and a wide array of multilateral institutions, this book shows how these nonmilitary responses, used widely throughout the world but often overlooked by the United States, can effectively address terrorism and promote global security. Link to Press Release: New Book Calls for Bold New Response to Terrorism

As terrorist attacks continue around the world, questions multiply about the effectiveness of current antiterrorist strategies in the U.S. America's reliance on military approaches and the Bush administration's avowal of a constant state of war have overshadowed nonmilitary, multilateral efforts, and there has been an analogous neglect of these alternative strategies in the literature on terrorism. A new book, Uniting Against Terror: Cooperative Nonmilitary Solutions to the Global Terrorist Threat fills this gap, examining and evaluating post–9/11 cooperative nonmilitary responses to global terrorism, with a particular focus on efforts of the United Nations, the Financial Action Task Force, the European Union, and a wide array of multilateral institutions.

The editors, David Cortright and George A. Lopez, suggest that America can take a lesson from British policy. Great Britain has been successful in thwarting terror attacks, not with invasions and bombings, but through effective law enforcement and intelligence cooperation with other countries. As part of their plan, British authorities and opinion leaders have also worked hard to build better relations with Muslim communities at home and abroad.

The chapter authors, who include U.S. and international policy and academic experts, also maintain that the United States must reshape its foreign policy if it wishes to successfully counter terrorism. Contrary to popular opinion, withdrawing from Iraq would enhance U.S. security and allow the country to shift priorities from unilateral war, which is almost never successful, to a true focus on law enforcement, multilateral cooperation, diplomacy, and multilateral capacity building, all elements which have been shown to effectively address terrorism. Defeating the global terrorist threat requires engaging international financial, diplomatic, intelligence, and defense communities and law enforcement organizations in an atmosphere of cooperation. The book supports this idea, examining dynamic, cooperative diplomatic and economic policies to address the changing face of terrorism and the global Al Qaida threat, differentiating between protective measures and long-term preventive policies, and making recommendations for effective nonmilitary strategies to enforce these policies.

Uniting Against Terror is the best, most comprehensive publication available today that examines how multilateral nonmilitary tools can be used successfully—in and out of the U.S.—against terror. The book is forthcoming (October 2007) from The MIT Press, 55 Hayward St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142. For more information or to arrange an interview with the editors, please contact Judy Gerhardstein in David Cortright’s office at 800-233-6786, ext. 10; outside the U.S., call 574-534-3402, ext. 10 or email dcortright@fourthfreedom.org.

Contributors:

Stephanie Ahern, Oldrich Bures, David Cortright, Kathryn L. Gardner, Linda Gerber-Stellingwerf, Jason Ipe, George A. Lopez, Thomas E. McNamara, Alistair Millar, Eric Rosand

"Cortright and Lopez have done a huge service to all those interested in pursuing the pros and cons of an activist foreign policy, short of the recourse to war. Chapters by well-known experts describe real-life experiences dealing with 'rogue states' like Libya, and there is also a very useful review of the surprisingly effective counter-terrorism activities of the United Nations, little known and less understood in the United States. The thoughtful, and characteristically low-key but potent, foreword by former Congressman Lee Hamilton is worth a read in itself. Altogether, a major contribution."
--A. Peter Burleigh, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1997-1999)

"This valuable volume makes clear that national interests and national conceptions of terrorism require acceptance and support from other countries in order to yield effective strategies. In these circumstances, as with Libya, positive results can emerge."
--David M. Malone, Canadian High Commissioner to India, Canadian Ambassador to Nepal and Bhutan, and author of The International Struggle Over Iraq

"Thought provoking. Uniting Against Terror provides a comprehensive overview of current multilateral efforts and initiatives, and proposes a sound and practical way forward in order to improve counter terrorism efforts world-wide."
--Karin von Hippel, Co-Director, Post-Conflict Reconstruction Program, CSIS, Washington DC.

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