Munter on David Webb's Talk Show

Media Coverage | March 29, 2016

EWI CEO and President Cameron Munter tackled terrorism, the effectiveness of the EU and NATO on combatting terrorism, among other topics, on David Webb's talk show on SirusXM Patriot Channel.

In the interview on March 25, 2016, Ambassador Munter elaborated on his take on the fight against terrorism and the role the U.S., the EU and NATO all play in the battle. In his discussion with David Webb, Ambassador Munter drew upon his experience as the former ambassador to Pakistan and as the leader of the first provincial reconstruction team in Mosul, Iraq, among his many other diplomatic posts.

Terrorism was the main subject, as the interview occurred days after the deadly Brussels attacks. Munter acknowledged the difficulties the EU faces in creating a united front against ISIS, the Syrian civil war and the resulting refugee crisis in Europe. Although Europe's cultural diversity creates problems in achieving political unity, it also means that Europe has a wide pool of talent to draw from. If the EU is able to agree on a unified strategy in the fight against ISIS it could become an effective institution in combatting terrorism, Munter added.

Ambassador Munter also raised the point that in order to successfully fight terrorism the world must first understand that it is multidimensional. Therefore he said it is necessary to deal not only with its military aspects, but also its economical, religious, political and cultural dimensions. In addition, Munter argued the world needs to create a unified approach towards the fight against terrorism and agree upon an over-arching goal of what will happen after the fight has been won.

Munter acknowledged that a cohesive approach would be difficult to create as the fight against terrorism does not simply rely on American will-power but also upon the cooperation of a number of countries in Europe and the Middle East. Every country has its own domestic and foreign aims, which often clash. While difficult, finding common ground among all countries is the only way ISIS can be stopped.

To listen to the interview in its entirety, click here.