Editor's note: Audrey Kurth Cronin, a professor at the U.S. National War College and research associate of the Changing Character of War program at Oxford University, is the author of "How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns" (Princeton University Press, September 2009). This article represents her views only, not necessarily those of any U.S. government agency. Audrey Kurth Cronin says recent events have raised new concerns about terrorism and al Qaeda. (CNN) -- President Obama entered office hoping to displace the global war on terrorism with a new age of engagement, thereby replacing fear with hope and relinquishing terrorism as the centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy.
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Audrey Cronin: Terror arrests and Afghan debate make it seem al Qaeda is gaining
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She says the reality is that the terror group is losing support
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Cronin: U.S. should encourage the disillusionment with al Qaeda in Muslim world
While the group continues to be dangerous, the faltering popularity of this campaign with most @placeholder provides clear evidence of this dynamic underway.