The Heat debates the success of US counter terrorism strategies

The Heat

In the wake of September 11, the United States and its allies have engaged in a systematic effort to counter and destroy terrorist capabilities. There are questions as to whether those counter terrorism efforts have proven to be counter-productive.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria and Somalia are all places where the U.S. and its allies have engaged in counter terrorism activities. Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Islamic State, Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda are all terrorist groups  in the Arabian Peninsula.

For all the drone strikes, enhanced interrogation, use of elite forces, local military training and trillions of dollars spent, it is unclear if the U.S. strategy has been effective in not only eliminating radical extremists but also changing the anti-U.S. culture that defined them.

CCTV America’s Roee Ruttenberg filed this report from Washington.

CCTV America interviewed a panel of experts for more insight into U.S. count terrorism efforts:

  • Richard Barrett is a former British diplomat and intelligence officer. He is currently the senior vice president with the Soufan Group, a strategic security intelligence consulting firm.
  • Daveed Gartenstein-Ross is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
  • Joseba Zulaika is the author of “Terrorism: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy”.

Our panel discussion continued.