Victory against terrorism will not occur as a single, defining moment. It will not be marked by the likes of the surrender ceremony on the deck of the USS Missouri that ended World War II. However, through the sustained effort to compress the scope and capability of terrorist organizations, isolate them regionally, and destroy them within state borders, the United States and its friends and allies will secure a world in which our children can live free from fear and where the threat of terrorist attacks does not define our daily lives.
Victory, therefore, will be secured only as long as the United States and the international community maintain their vigilance and work tirelessly to prevent terrorists from inflicting horrors like those of September 11, 2001.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
"America is no longer protected by vast oceans.
We are protected from attack only by vigorous action abroad,
and increased vigilance at home."
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
JANUARY 29, 2002
Goal: Defeat Terrorists and Their Organizations
The first tenet of the 4D strategy (Defeat, Deny, Diminish and Defend) calls for defeating terrorist organizations of global reach through the direct or indirect use of diplomatic, economic, information, law enforcement, military, financial, intelligence, and other instruments of power. The evolution of terrorist organizations into loose, flexible networks with small, informal groups compounds the challenges of combating them. The United States will use all its resources, including the ability to marshal and sustain international coalitions, to defeat networks and prevent the growth of new organizations. The United States and its partners will target the individuals, state sponsors, and transnational networks that enable terrorism to flourish.
An analysis of the history of combating terrorism confirms that the best way to defeat terrorism is to isolate and localize its activities and then destroy it through intensive, sustained action. Political pressures and economic sanctions have moderated some state sponsors, but have had little effect on individual groups that can sustain an independent presence. However, due to the broad expanse and sophistication of some of these global terrorist organizations, we must first act to reduce their scope and capability. This effort requires us to identify the terrorists, locate their sanctuaries, and destroy their ability to plan and operate.
We cannot wait for terrorists to attack and then respond. The United States and its partners will disrupt and degrade the ability of terrorists to act, and compel supporters of terrorism to cease and desist. Preventing terrorist groups from gaining access to technology, particularly that which supports WMD, will be one of our highest priorities.