To defeat al-Qaeda, the U.S. and its allies must not only destroy its leadership, but also destroy its ability to recruit replacements by discrediting its violent ideology. The UnitedStates must put as much effort into the ideological struggle as itdid during the Cold War.
During the Cold War, NATO and the Warsaw Pact were led by strong nation-states with strong chains of command. Today's multiple terrorist players are driven by ideology, religious interpretation,and language that many Americans do not comprehend; America and itsallies have no alternative but to combat them while preventing themfrom obtaining and using weapons of mass destruction.