War of Ideas

MONOGRAPH: Wars of Ideas and The War of Ideas by Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II. June 2008.

This monograph analyzes how the United States and its allies and strategic partners might proceed in the current “war of ideas” with al-Qaeda and other groups. Two diverging schools of thought exist. The first treats the conflict as a matter of public diplomacy, and calls for revitalizing the U.S. State Department and reestablishing many traditional tools of statecraft. The second advocates waging the war of ideas as a “real war,” destroying the influence and credibility of the opposing ideology. It calls for continuing the transformation of the U.S. Defense Department so that it can better leverage information-age weapons. The author presents recommendations concerning these approaches as well as others in the “war of ideas.”