war on terror

The United States has an array of non-military tools to respond to security threats that are underappreciated, underutilized, and under-resourced.

If you’ve heard any message from FCNL before, there’s a good chance it’s this one: war is not the answer.  

As a Quaker organization, opposing all war is a foundational moral principle. Yet, this message is not only rooted in faith, but also pragmatism. Time and again, we’ve seen war-based solutions to security challenges fail, all the while inflicting a terrible human toll.  

At recent Senate hearings on the biggest threats threats the U.S. faces, Senators and witnesses were notably silent on ongoing U.S. strikes in Somalia against al-Shabaab. The hearings and threat assessment raise serious questions over why the U.S. continues to carry out military action against groups like al-Shabaab. Why attack groups who pose so little threat that they aren’t even considered worthy of mention in these hearings?

A new report released today by FCNL concludes that the Global War on Terror has failed to achieve its goals and caused immeasurable harm both at home and abroad.