The United States could use such a forum for developing broad-based programs with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia and other leading voices in the Muslim world as part of an effort to help to overcome the growing skepticism and distrust among Muslim nations and communities around the globe that the U.S.-led counterterrorism effort is targeting Islam.
Convincing the world that the U.S. is committed to working with others and to upholding the highest standards of human rights and the rule of law while countering terrorism will be difficult as long as the U.S. continues to rely on the exclusive clubs - the Security Council and the Group of Eight - that largely ignore these issues for much of its multilateral engagement on counterterrorism.
The next president's support for the creation of a global anti-terrorism body would show that the call for more partnership, dialogue and cooperation in fighting terrorism is not merely rhetoric. It would signal that the U.S. is committed to multilateral, rule of law-based approaches to combating terrorism and working more closely with new and old partners.
