Barack Obama is convening a landmark White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism with key international leaders in an attempt to develop an urgently needed plan to tackle terrorism and radicalization across the world.
The importance of the summit was brought into sharp focus, yet again, with the terror attacks in Copenhagen over the weekend. While the facts of the case are still being pieced together, Danish intelligence agencies are “operating under a theory” that the attacker may have been inspired by the horrific events in Paris last month.
Nearly a decade and a half after the 9/11 attacks, there remains a key flaw in the ongoing U.S.-led “War on Terror:” Washington’s response has been hyper-militarized, dominated by counter-terrorism and security, while other soft power instruments like public diplomacy have been under-invested in.
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Of course a comprehensive international plan to tackle violent extremism will inevitably have a military and counter-terrorism component. But soft power needs to become a much bigger part of the overall mix, as even Gates, the former Pentagon chief, advocates.
America and its international partners must urgently address this Achilles heel in the campaign against terrorism. While a limited window of opportunity exists to get this agenda kick-started before Obama’s term of office ends, a sustained commitment will be required for many years beyond his presidency.
