Flashpoints in the War on Terrorism

The future security environment has been forecast in terms of nation-state clashes over natural resources, modernization, and culture. Yet America's security interests are more directly affected by the intractable tension between Muslims and non-Muslims within six specific regions: the Fertile Crescent, Balkans, Post-Soviet Region, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Countering grass-roots extremism is necessary to ameliorate conflict. However, foreign jihadists are ready to fight anywhere they believe Muslim lands are under attack. Thus it is important to understand the relationship between internal and external actors and domestic and foreign interests. To be successful, the United States must secure lasting peace and economic development in these regional flashpoints, which are primarily characterized in religious terms. By bringing together experts on each region, this book traces the historical roots of these conflicts, the impact of colonial powers imposi