In the current climate of Republican hostility to most of the democratic countries of Europe, it's easy to forget how important cooperation with the EU governments is to combatting terrorism effectively. This article by John Clarke of the Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Securing the European Homeland, is a good discussion of some of the differences in American and EU approaches to fighting terrorism.
EU countries understand the fight against terrorism as primarily a law-enforcement task, not as a military one. Despite the willing participation of the NATO allies in the Afghan war in the wake of the 9/11 attacks - a participation that is very much maintained today, "Many European opinion leaders have a visceral dislike of the 'global war on terrorism' construct."
Clarke discusses at some length the differences in organization of military and police forces in Europe and the US. EU armies support even some routine law-enforcement functions, such as providing security for sports and cultural events. They are trained and prepared for "essential services augmentation" in the case of civil disruptions like major strikes or terrorist attacks, and get involved in border security. A number of EU countries also have paramilitary forces that have no exact parallel in the US, like the Civil Guard in Spain or the Gendarmerie in France and Austria.
It's also worth noting that extensive involvement in civic affairs gives EU armies training and experience in "nation-building" activities that the US Army simply doesn't have.
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