ABSTRACT
US relations with al-Qa'ida to include strategies that undermine the organization while delegitimating its message and reducing its appeal in the Muslim world. The greatest challenge for the United States in addressing the threat posed by al-Qa'ida is developing a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Al-Qa'ida has at least three distinct manifestations: a terrorist organization, an ideology, and a social movement. US efforts to counter the al-Qa'ida phenomenon have focused primarily on dismantling the organization by capturing or killing its leaders, freezing its financial assets, and denying the organization sanctuary in Afghanistan. The challenge for the United States in its fight against al-Qa'ida is to find a means to target the organization and other groups that claim a connection to al-Qa'ida in a way that does not validate their ideology and attract Muslims to its camp. This is a difficult task, but the United States has options for realizing a holistic approach.
