Combating Terrorism with Socioeconomics: Leveraging the Private Sector Facts: Millions of Muslim boys in Asia are coming of age and creating a “youth bulge. ” When governments are not able to deliver a vision of hope, mutual respect and opportunity these young men end up desperate, frustrated and humiliated. These are ripe conditions for religious extremism, which can provide a perversely attractive escape from the grinding hopelessness and despair.
According to Lieutenant General Wallace Surgeon, former commander US Marin Forces Pacific, the decisive terrain of the war on terror is the vast majority of people not directly involved, but whose support, either willing or coerced, is necessary to insurgent operations around the world. This populace is equivalent to American swing voters, whose ballots have contributed significantly to the outcome of many US Presidential elections. Issues: To develop a concept of operations to alleviate those conditions is crucial for US Pacific Command.
However, as have seen in Iraq, this success will be short-lived if the local, state and central governments are unable to provide a sustained secured atmosphere and meet the expectation of the populace. Although Basilar has made great strides in achieving better economic conditions in recent years, poverty and lack of terrorism efforts by, through and with the government of the Philippines must focus on creating sustainable socioeconomic conditions on Basilar Island.
The concept of eradicating poverty through profit involves ways that business can gain advantage in today’s highly competitive global environment by servicing the needs of those who are at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid. By doing so, they trigger sustainable economic growth in those areas. Peace through commerce enhances the powerful role that commerce plays in promoting peace. Conclusion: It is widely recognized that leaders of terrorist organizations come from the ranks of the educated and are mostly driven by extremist ideologies.
The foot soldiers of terrorism, however, are often recruited from the deprived masses at the bottom of the socioeconomic and political pyramid. The leaders exploit impoverished and hopeless environments and circumstances to attract the large numbers of people needed to advance their agendas. Creating sustainable socioeconomic conditions should be viewed as an exploitative offensive operation. Encouraging socioeconomic development that creates Jobs, opportunities and alternatives to violent extremism is one of the goals in applying this Principles of War.
A big challenge for the US military would be to overcome its need for control. It is embedded in an organizational DNA to want to rum things because military organizations are traditionally hierarchical and nave a top down structure. They must recognize that the military will be unable to exercise any control over the actions of its nonmilitary partners. Hierarchical relationships are dissolving and more horizontal and collaborative ones are emerging within businesses, governments and many organizations across the spectrum.
