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Five Years After 9/11: Accomplishments and Continuing Challenges

U.S. Strategy and Capabilities for Winning the Long War

Accomplishments
  • Established principle of sovereign accountability (no “safe harbor”) for terrorists
  • Renewed DoD emphasis on counterterrorism and irregular warfare
  • Increased Special Operations Forces capabilities, cultural awareness, linguists
  • Raised priority for building foreign capacity
  • Created State Department Office for Reconstruction and Stabilization

Continuing Challenges
  • No grand strategy or interagency concept of operations for the “long war”
  • Overemphasis on use of military, creating substantial strains on forces
  • Insufficient deployable operational capacity in civilian agencies
  • No master plan to coordinate “soft power” programs
  • Chronically weak interagency coordination, planning, and operations

 

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