Terrorism, the Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy

International terrorism has long been recognized as a foreign and domestic security threat. The tragic events of September 11th have dramatically re-energized the nations focus and resolve on terrorism. This issue brief examines international terrorist actions and threats and the U.S. policy response. Available policy options range from diplomacy, international cooperation, and constructive engagement to economic sanctions, covert action, physical security enhancement, and military force. Questions relate to whether U.S. policy and organizational mechanisms are adequate to deal with state-sponsored terrorism and that undertaken by independent groups. Terrorist activities supported by sophisticated planning and logistics as well as possible access to CBRN weaponry raise a host of new issues. Some analysts long-held belief that a comprehensive review of U.S. counterterrorism policy, organizational structure, and intelligence capabilities is needed has now become a mainstream view. U.S. policy toward international terrorism contains a significant military component as reflected in current U.S. operations in Afghanistan and the Philippines and in planned deployments of U.S. forces to Yemen and the former Soviet republic of Georgia. President Bush has expressed a willingness to provide military aid to governments everywhere in the fight against terrorism. A modern trend in terrorism is toward loosely organized, self-financed, international networks of terrorists. Another trend is toward terrorism that is religiously or ideologically motivated. Radical Islamic fundamentalist groups, or groups using religion as a pretext, pose terrorist threats of varying kinds to U.S. interests and to friendly regimes. A third trend is the apparent growth of cross-national links among different terrorist organizations, which may involve combinations of military training, funding, technology transfer, or political advice.