Flashpoints In The War On Terrorism

The future security environment has been forecast in terms of nationstateclashes over natural resources modernization and culture. Yet Americassecurity interest... » 

The future security environment has been forecast in terms of nationstateclashes over natural resources modernization and culture. Yet Americassecurity interests are more directly affected by the intractable tensionbetween Muslims and nonMuslims within six specific regions the FertileCrescent Balkans PostSoviet Region the Himalayas Southeast Asia and subSaharan Africa. These clashes have led to extreme violence and fuel terrorismnot only within those regions but globally. The National Intelligence Councilforecasts within the next 15 years weak governments lagging economiesreligious extremism and youth bulges will align to create a perfect storm forinternal conflict in certain regions. Flashpoints in the War on Terrorismilluminates the root causes of these crises and offers policy recommendationsto prevent the coming storm.Countering grassroots extremism is necessary to ameliorate conflict. Howeverforeign jihadists are ready to fight anywhere they believe Muslim lands areunder attack. Thus it is important to understand the relationship betweeninternal and external actors and domestic and foreign interests. To besuccessful the United States must secure lasting peace and economicdevelopment in these regional flashpoints which are primarily characterized inreligious terms. By bringing together experts on each region this book tracesthe historical roots of these conflicts the impact of colonial powers imposingartificial boundaries on populations how modernization transformed theseconflicts by making them more deadly and their link to the ideology ofPolitical Islamic terrorism. Ultimately Flashpoints in the War onTerrorismprioritizes US foreign policy challenges by identifying critical hotspots that stoke the fire of international terrorism. «