U.S. Marine Corps Gen Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said information exchange across the intelligence, law enforcement and military communities contributed to the progress in global efforts against violent extremist groups.
He told his fellow defense chiefs at a meeting held Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland the transregional threat affects national security and confronting the problem requires political, military and fiscal measures, the Defense Department said Tuesday.
“While we recognize that combating violent extremism requires a whole-of-government approach, we also appreciate the military dimension of the challenge and the unique role the chiefs of defense have in influencing, developing and implementing comprehensive solutions,†added Dunford, a 2018 Wash100 recipient.
He reported that the number of worldwide attacks from the Islamic State militant organization decreased by 23 percent during 2017 and the average number of fatalities due to militant attacks declined from 25 in 2015 to three in 2018.
Dunford urged defense heads to develop technical and cyber strategies to mitigate risks of violent extremism.
