The Siege of Mecca and the Origins of Al-Qaeda<br />The Foundation for Defense of Democracies - Bridge Marriott<br />Radical Islam has declared itself at war with the West as well as with moderate Muslims. The enemy is well organized, well funded, and grounded in the authority of religious texts. The United States therefore has a particularly difficult battle to fight. It is engaged with an enemy who cares first and foremost about the ideological battle -- rebuilding a distinct Muslim identity, strengthening the ummah, and defeating the West, both materially and spiritually. Without directly confronting the ideology driving such groups as Al Qaeda, the United States will never be able to defeat the threat of terrorism. Drawing on the expertise of those who were directly involved in the fight against past totalitarian ideologies and of those who are intimately familiar with the ideology and strategy of the current enemy, this conference will draw lessons from the past for today's fight against Al Qaeda and associated movements.<br /><br />Speakers<br /><br />Dr. Sebastian L. Gorka<br />Military Affairs Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies<br />Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Public Policy Institute<br /><br />Thomas Joscelyn<br />Senior Editor, Long War Journal<br />Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies<br /><br />Dr. John Lenczowski<br />President, Institute of World Politics<br />Former Director of European and Soviet Affairs, National Security Council<br /><br />Prof. John Moore<br />President Emeritus, Grove City College<br />Former Deputy Director, National Science Foundation<br /><br />Robert R. Reilly<br />Author and Former Director, Voice of America<br />Former Senior Advisor for Information Strategy, Office of the Secretary of Defense<br /><br />Stephen Ulph<br />Senior Fellow, Jamestown Foundation<br />Founder and Former Editor of Jane's Terrorism Security Monitor
