Understanding

“If we care to understand well enough, open exchange and cooperation can starve the very roots of terrorism. Statecraft and interpersonal engagement are more important, in the long run, than military might.”

The above is a line I lifted from the 4th article published in Powerful Peace, and this page is a brief snapshot of the meat of that essay, entitled “Becoming Your Enemy“. I am urging not the kind of understanding that we use to tolerate the wild behavior of a toddler in her “terrible two’s” or an erratic adolescent, but the Understanding which represents the most powerful tool at our disposal for long-term, effective counterterrorism.

We have to understand our enemy, and our ally…and the many, many unrelated-but-impacted people in between. Much of our CT effort in the West has been focused on the might of the matter. I’ve been involved with security for many years, and I’m not squeamish about the select use of violence; we will always require Force in our toolkit. Any craftsman will tell you, however, that using the wrong tool will retard or even ruin a project.

Really understanding the threat, our vulnerability, and risk means going beyond the labeling of a hostile actor as our enemy. Yes, some situations will require the harshest response - but when we can find middle ground and peel away layers of ignorance and misunderstanding, we’ll find some of our strongest allies among our detractors.

Read “Becoming Your Enemy” at this link.