The US has been working with British and French officials to rebrand its counter-terrorism strategy. What was once the "global war on terror" (GWOT) will become "struggle against violent extremism" (SAVE).

Washington's "strategic dialogue on terrorism" with London and Paris began in June as the US attempts to follow a multilateral path, emphasizing foreign policy in general rather than a purely military approach.

At the head of a 10-member US committee, Philip Zelikow, a special adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, is leading the shift from a tactical phase of this "war" to a more strategic period of counter-terrorist activity.

Washington's fresh thinking, in line with that of Paris and London, is based on the premise that governments must reach out to moderate Muslim groups in order to lessen the appeal of extremism and isolate the minority group effectively.

France is actively cooperating with the US and Britain as the Western powers focus their intelligence services on this new strategy. Given the considerable expertise of the French authorities in investigating Islamic extremists and terrorist activities in North Africa and the Middle East, the US is bound to benefit from this alliance.

How will the change of direction affect Southeast Asia and its own "war on terror?" How will Washington's approach facilitate these governments' fights against terrorism and will it prevent further radicalization of moderate Muslims in the region?

Outside the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, Washington's strategic shift should be a welcome move for Southeast Asia and its huge Muslim populations, from Indonesia and Malaysia to the Philippines and Thailand. Addressing the root causes of Islamic extremism requires a "soft" approach, which has been what Muslim nations in Asia have been strongly advocating, in place of the "hard" military option.

Reaching out to Muslim communities is a priority as the vast majority of Asian Muslims are not radicals or extremists, though some may be "fundamentalists" in their religious practices. This is a point that has been made by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed.

Many moderate Muslims are angry about the way the US has been perceived in treating fellow Muslims across the world.

The Bush administration is perceived as "unilateral" in global affairs. In polls conducted by Pew, only citizens of two countries have positive assessments of the US, Poland and Israel. Even in Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea, whose governments support Washington in Iraq, citizens are more critical than supportive. This is a real challenge for the US, the world's "hyper power."

For Southeast Asia, Washington could perhaps consider adopting the following strategy as it shifts from GWOT to SAVE.

A conscious effort must be made to reach out to the majority of moderate Muslims in Southeast Asia, through a more tolerant and open attitude towards Islam. A more humble and humane approach should help win over the majority of Muslim moderates, as Singapore Premier Lee Hsien Loong said in an interview during his visit to Washington last month.

The US should tactically tone down its "freedom and democracy" slogan to match its new approach. It has even been perceived as a Christian crusader trying to convert Muslims.

America should endeavor to "soften" its non-even-handed position with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as to politically settle Iraq and Afghanistan, and ultimately withdraw American troops from these Muslim lands.

"Progressive Islam" should be supported by the US, so that development can be linked with religion as in the case of Hadhari Islam as proposed by Malaysian Premier Abdullah Badawi in a pluralistic and open society. Washington should be encouraged that in Indonesia, the 35 million members moderate Nadlatul Ulama is currently opposing radical Muslim edicts and that could turn Indonesia into a more conservative society. Development must return to the fore of foreign policy to assist moderate Muslims.

Even though economics may not be the singular root cause of Muslim extremism, Washington must champion the integration of social justice and resource re-distribution into its existing program of spreading "freedom and democracy." Abject poverty and unfairness have helped spawn extremism and violence of all forms. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is today advocating a "pro-growth, pro-poor, pro-development" policy to counter this.

America's ultimate success in Asia undoubtedly hinges on its own progress in shifting its anti-terrorist strategy from GWOT to SAVE within the Southeast Asian context. Washington should exploit the weaknesses of Islamic radicals and secure the support of the majority of moderate Muslims in Southeast Asia, which is clearly the best strategy for countering extremist Islamic violence.

(China Daily August 17, 2005)