Publication

This paper examines three features of the US "war on terrorism": first, the administration's postulation of the terrorist threat; second, the scope and feasibility of US war aims; and third, the campaign's political, fiscal, and military sustainability. The author finds that the "war on terrorism" lacks strategic clarity, embraces unrealistic objectives, and may not be sustainable over the long term. He calls for a downsizing of the scope of the war on terrorism to reflect concrete US security interests and the limits of US military power.