Inside the Ring

War of ideas

James K. Glassman, the new undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, has launched a more aggressive program to counter Islamist extremism through a war of ideas.

“The war of ideas is a very important aspect of the non-kinetic part of the war on terror,” Mr. Glassman said in an interview this week. “In fact, it may be the most important aspect of the war on terror.”

Mr. Glassman’s office is the lead federal agency in organizing both policy and programs designed to “push back against violent extremist ideology.” Most of the focus is on al Qaeda and other radical Islamist groups.

The war of ideas is supposed to be one of three equal components of the U.S.-led war on terrorism, after military operations and law enforcement and intelligence counterterrorism.

However, it is by far the least developed aspect, according to U.S. officials.

Mr. Glassman said the specific mission of the new programs is to “create an environment that is hostile to violent extremism.”

One key aspect of the new campaign is to encourage credible voices from the Muslim world to speak out against extremism. One such voice is that of Sayyed Imam al-Sharif. The former al Qaeda theorist, also known as Dr. Fadl, has recanted his earlier views and now states that Islam does not allow Muslims to kill civilians under the pretext of jihad.

A second U.S. government effort involves what Mr. Glassman calls educational and other programs to “divert” Muslims, especially young people, away from extremism.

Mr. Glassman said he was reluctant to provide details of these efforts because it could cause problems for host governments. However, one program initiated this month with U.S. backing - Young Tribal Voices - involves the production of Pashtun radio dramas by students in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The broadcasts include anti-extremist themes and are beamed into the tribal regions, currently major al Qaeda and Taliban redoubts.

Another U.S.-backed program is a Farsi-language social-networking site called Parsloop.com in which Farsi speakers in Iran and outside the country can discuss issues of importance to Iranians. A second “dot-gov” Farsi site directly promotes American messages and ideas.

“The model that we’re using is trying to bring not just Muslim voices, but mainstream voices in general together,” Mr. Glassman said. “What we try to do is convene, facilitate and amplify mainstream voices.”

Among those involved in the programs are businesspeople, women’s groups and activists representing victims of terrorism, similar to the domestic group Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Within government, Mr. Glassman set up a new interagency system that is more strongly supported by officials from the Pentagon, the intelligence agencies and the Treasury Department. “Now we are beginning to put the programs in place,” he said.

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