Military leaders, counterterrorism professionals, law enforcement officials, and intelligence experts all stress that, in the long rung, it is in the realm of ideas that violent extremism must be defeated. The ideas of human rights and the rule of law, and their applicability to every person, are an assential part of what the United Sates can offer in that struggle--because they are both universal and at the foundation of what it means to be American.
The challenge for American counterterrorism policy is moving human rights ans the rule of law from being ideas we casually reference to integrated principles by which the United States conducts itself and strategies to confront terrorism effectively. Through this process, the United States can offer other nations a model to follow, and be a leader and partner in the fight against terrorism.