Tony Blair, Leon Panetta partner to fight the root cause of terrorism

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta have launched an antiterrorism commission that plans to go beyond a military strategy to combat the ideology that drives radicalization, an approach many political leaders often fail to address.

The Commission on Countering Violent Extremism, launched Wednesday, is sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an international policy institution.

“We have to focus on what are the root causes that inspire people to violent extremism, and that requires that we really understand the appeal of that kind of radicalism to those that join that effort,” Panetta told me in a phone interview today.

The commission will analyze the motivations and triggers of violent extremism, look into lessons from military engagement of jihadist groups, and create alliances to confront the terror organizations.

So far, President Barack Obama’s approach in combating terror groups like Islamic State has been to “degrade and ultimately destroy.” Presidential candidate and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has advocated carpet-bombing ISIS into oblivion. But Blair challenged that point of view as a denial of the real issue.

“See, I think the problem is not simply terrorist action, but extremist thinking—that there is a connection between the belief that women are the property of men to the kidnapping of the Nigerian girls. … Teaching that Islam is under assault from the West creates an intellectual environment in which violence is incubated,” Blair said at the launch of the commission.

Members said they plan to release a report in July, when both the Republican and Democratic parties will select presidential nominees at their national conventions.

“It will seek to provide what I might term a practical policy guide and handbook for those currently, or indeed prospectively, in office,” Blair said.

From a military standpoint, Blair advocated building allies within the West and also with Islamic leaders rather than staging a battle between the West and Islam.

“Those allies within Islam are crucial,” Blair said. “So we probably should concentrate on building those alliances, not alienating an entire religion.”