Over at Counterterrorism Blog Jeffrey Imm is lamenting the gaping nothing that is our government's counterideology strategy:
The Washington Times reported that: "FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III revealed during the hearing that the FBI has no counterideology response other than its 'outreach' to Muslim-American communities so they 'understand the FBI' and address 'the radicalization issue'. " Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff also said nothing is being done domestically to battle Islamist extremist ideas. The department's incident management team, he said, is focused on civil rights or civil liberties -- not fighting terrorists' ideology." "Retired Vice Adm. Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence, said the intelligence community does not conduct any battle of ideas against terrorists in the United States unless there is a foreign connection."
Imm concludes with a question:
With an unresolved strategy towards an enemy that the U.S. political leadership refuses to define as other than "extremists", it is little surprise that "strategic operational planning" would leave something to be desired. But as some suggest Bin Laden's messages are sleep-worthy, key parts of the U.S. government are clearly asleep at the wheel in fighting Bin Laden's message and ideology.
What will it take to wake them up?
Imm's post reminds me of something that Mark Steyn wrote some time in 2002-03. After reading the news that the US immigration service had finally granted Mohammed Atta his student visa, Steyn wrote (paraphrased here): you can drive a plan into the bureaucratic mindset and it just bounces right off.
The answer to Imm's question: nothing. Right now, the political appointees are looking for new jobs. The government employees are waiting for the new boss. Expect a new round of political appointees to repeat the same non-answers in, say, 18 months.
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