U.S. Counterterrorism official and several military officials told a March 10, 2010 Senate hearing that military and intelligence operations alone will not be able to stop the threat of terrorism. The speakers described efforts by the Department of State and Department of Defense (DoD) to reduce the threat from violent extremism, but underscored the importance of remedying political, economic, and social factors that contribute to terrorism. The hearing was held by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

The State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism Daniel Benjamin told the Committee that there is a “need for more work” on understanding the radicalization process. His office has created a six person Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) unit tasked with determining how best to “stop those most at risk” from becoming terrorists. This taskforce has conducted meetings with intelligence agencies, DoD, the Department of Homeland Security and USAID, to obtain input on creating a “sustainable strategy” of countering violent extremism. The CVE also met with representatives from the Netherlands, Australia, Germany and the UK to discuss multilateral CVE approaches. A similar workshop is scheduled for May 2010.

Targeting what Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan has called “upstream factors,” Benjamin said U.S. policies should work toward resolving the grievances that “our enemies exploit.” “We believe that engagement framed with mutual respect…marginalizes violent extremists by contrasting our positive vision with the terrorists’ commitment to murder, violence, and destruction,” he said

Though partnered with DoD, Benjamin stressed the importance of determining “which CVE efforts are best done by the military and which are best handled on the civilian side.” Benjamin said that “host nations, NGOs, and local partners” are often more effective for implementing CVE proposals than the U.S. government, saying “NGOs, foundations, public-private partnerships, and private businesses are some of the most capable and credible partners in local communities.”

Another speaker, Garry Reid, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, described DoD CVE efforts as “significant” and highlighted their partnerships with other agencies, including State. “Although we will continue to take immediate, necessary actions to protect the United States from terrorist attacks, our long-term focus is to…create conditions that promote development opportunities,” Reid said. He acknowledged that in places some  CVE operations are conducted, “the military lacks the depth of expertise” to operate independently without organizations who better understand the “people, the culture, and the social dynamics at the village, district, national, and regional levels.”

James J.F. Forest, Director of Terrorism Studies at West Point told the Committee that “defending our nation…is a task that falls to many elements,” including our military, law enforcement agencies and “civilian experts outside of the U.S. government.” He provided examples from Afghanistan and Djibouti where U.S. military “compliment efforts of USAID, NGOs and the international community” by digging wells, building schools and providing solutions to other local problems. He described these “soft power” activities to improve education, sanitation and good governance as having “a lasting impact” on diminishing the resonance of anti-U.S. sentiment spread by violent extremists.

Other speakers at the hearing focused on the radicalization process, strategies to reduce the number of potential terrorists and “the asymmetrical use of terrorism” by terrorists to influence insurgencies and minds of possible recruits. Scott Atran, Director of Research at ARTIS Research, said more work is needed to address the “lack of field-based scientific research on pathways to and from political and group violence.” Douglas M. Stone, President and Chairman of Transportation Networks International, told the Committee that the U.S. government should use all sectors of government power- “foreign policy, justice, protection of our borders, education, humanitarian and relief efforts, outreach to at risk populations” to develop CVE programs.