So not only has Obama's plan for withdrawal been vindicated by Iraqi leaders, his argument that force alone can not quell terrorism has just been vindicated by a study done by the Rand Corporation. Not only this--but the Rand study suggests that the "War on terror" is not an optimal strategy for fighting terrorism, but we must rely more on policing and courts.
Here is the :
Based on an analysis of 648 terrorist groups that existed between 1968 and 2006, the report concluded that a transition to the political process is the most common way such groups end. But the process, found in 43 percent cases examined, is unlikely with al-Qaida, which has a broad, sweeping agenda, the report said.
The second most common way that terrorist groups end, seen in about 40 percent of the cases, is through police and intelligence services apprehending or killing key leaders, Jones said. Police are particularly effective because their permanent presence in cities helps them gather information, he said.
By contrast, the report said, military force was effective in only 7 percent of the cases.
More below
So all along progressives have been saying this is not a war, but an occupation strategy, and terrorists are not an army, but are criminals.
The Study says....
WASHINGTON - The United States can defeat al-Qaida if it relies less on force and more on policing and intelligence to root out the terror group's leaders, a new study contends.
"Keep in mind that terrorist groups are not eradicated overnight," said the study by the federally funded Rand research center, an organization that counsels the Pentagon.
Its report said that the use of military force by the United States or other countries should be reserved for quelling large, well-armed and well-organized insurgencies, and that American officials should stop using the term "war on terror" and replace it with "counterterrorism."
And...
"Terrorists should be perceived and described as criminals, not holy warriors, and our analysis suggests there is no battlefield solution to terrorism," said Seth Jones, the lead author of the study and a Rand political scientist.
This is fantastic! Progressives now have a non-partisan study to back up what we have been saying for 6 years.
See full study here:Rand Study How Terrorist Groups End
