How To Prevent Terrorism...
I'am currently Reading a book, titled, "Friendly Fire: Losing Friends
and Making Enemies in the
Anti-American Century" by Julia E. Sweig.
The book has many interesting points, and one specific passage that I will quote here.
"Well before the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration signaled a belief that U.S.
power alone
was adequate to the task of addressing
what many at home and in the international community regarded as the critical
global challenges of the twenty-first century,
After 9/11, the United States declared war on a tactic, terrorism,
without a strategy to undermine
those who employ terrorist tactics.
As if straight out of some Manchurian Candidate spin-off, the White House conducted itself as though it somehow intended to hand one psychological victory after another to the truly dangerous ( as opposed to just politically hostile) Anti-Americans. "
and in another paragraph in the same page, she writes, " The arrests and jailings of thousands of Islamic men at home reinforced the message, intended or not, that Christian America was waging an anti-Muslim crusade."
Alright, Now that my mindset is very much established, here is my point.
The U.S. actions throughout the region are causing more terrorism, and reading this book begged me to question; JUST HOW DO WE PREVENT AND ELIMINATE TERRORISM, SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE SO GOOD AT PROVOKING AND CAUSING IT?
I've researched this issue extensively, and sadly, could NOT find any official government reports or statements or findings saying on how to prevent terrorism, or what even causes it to begin with. So what is that point in fighting a war, if we don't know what we are doing?
The Bush administration is romanticized behind the idea of "Nation-Building", Of bettering a state. However,
That idea is very out-dated, it is a concept very much alive during World War II, but is inadequate today, since these "insurgents"
are without nations, and without governments so its not as easy, as pinning the actions on a single policy, or individual or cabinet of another nation.
In a strategy research project, written, by Kenneth D. Comfort of the United States Army War College, entitled, "Preventing Terrorism Through Nation-Building, A Viable Way?" www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army-usawc/comfort.pdf He offers some very interesting points.
First of all, he exclaims that, Granting aid and giving nations food does NOT necessarily prevent terrorism.
Poverty can exist without terrorism, and terrorism without poverty; so the link between poverty and "failed states" terrorism, is not necessarily true
and lastly,
Going after nations, that give aid to terrorists doesn't stop/end/ reverse the trend of terrorism.
-- These points are very valid, in that, they are basically the ideals behind U.S. Foreign Policy, and It is very clear to see that our actions in the region, using these ideals have helped the region.
Now to the solution, An issue is pretty much dead in the water, without a solution. The moral of the story is that, if you intend to solve a problem. You first need to understand that problem before you can understand how to fix it.
The U.S. is only 200 years old, and is struggling to use democracy and shape Mesopotamia and the Arab world into its image, without having a clear understanding of its people, its culture and its history. We lack "on-the-ground" intelligence to discern what is going on, what the general consensus of the country is, and who these people are.
I have never agreed on going into Iraq, so don't think thats where I'm going with this. The point is that this solution is something that I think is fundamental, and universal in every sense on foreign policy and foreign relations.
I found a website, that composes these ideas together(tee hee)
http://www.afghan-network.net/911/terrorism.html
Preventing Terrorism
Towards a New Approach
By Nicholas Abbey
-- I reorganized the list, per what was most important to me.
1. Refocusing government resources on prevention and solving social, economic, and environmental problems.
2. Vigilance against racial vilification, the violation of civil liberties, and the use of apocalyptic language.
3. Unequivocal condemnation of all acts of terrorism.
4. Bringing the perpetrators to justice based on lawful procedure and respect for the rights and safety of innocent civilians.
5. Preventing the strategic escalation of conflict and a new 'cold war'..
6. A comprehensive strategy under the auspices of the United Nations and linked to non-governmental organizations.
The Organization for The Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued a press release in September 8th, 2006, exclaiming how "The United Nations Adopts Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy" http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2006/PR58_2006.html
The report states that, "5. To strengthen coordination and cooperation among States in combating crimes that might be connected with terrorism, including drug trafficking in all its aspects, illicit arms trade, in particular of small arms and light weapons, including man-portable air defence systems , money laundering and smuggling of nuclear, chemical, biological, radiological and other potentially deadly materials. (...)
13. To step-up national efforts and bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international co-operation, as appropriate, to improve border and customs controls, in order to prevent and detect the movement of terrorists and to prevent and detect the illicit traffic in, inter alia, small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition and explosives, nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons and materials, while recognizing that States may require assistance to that effect. (...)
Let us be clear and realistic here. The reason terrorism is flourishing is because of the Arms trade, because of Drug-Trafficking, and because of Oil, and the truth of the matter is, these issues will not be resolved, because too many rich
nations are involved, too many corporations have their greedy hands in the pot.
Desmond Tutu, in an article written in September considers it a new slave trade.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article1523112.ece
- The richest nations like, Germany, France, Israel, USA and Russia, in 2005, made 82 percent of the arms that entered conflicts in Africa in the Middle East during that year,
Did you think Hezbollah makes their own AK-47s?
Too many goverments get too much money from the darkest corners of the globe. Thats why we 'LOVE' Afghanistan so much. The U.S. and the CIA, have funded and supported drug smugglers, arms dealers and dicatators in Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and of course funded Bin Laden's MAK organization.
http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines01/0708-03.htm
Our hands are too dirty in this, to get out. So we won't ever, ever EVER work to prevent terrorism or separate ourselves from nationalism.
So while we may have a viable answer to the question, it will never be put into action.
Because behind the face of nationalism lies, out bedding with the supposed "enemy"
-- Sorry I got a bit carried away, but alot of these issues are connected in a way, that we wished was a nightmare.
And If you still believe in all our speeches on "Freedom" and "Justice", and "Spreading American Freedom through Democracy", well I'm sorry but your wrong, we aren't the proud, perfect and honest nation that we want others to think that we are.
Our ideas dicate our actions, and our beliefs provide us with motives. No one is immune from that.
and Making Enemies in the
Anti-American Century" by Julia E. Sweig.
The book has many interesting points, and one specific passage that I will quote here.
"Well before the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration signaled a belief that U.S.
power alone
was adequate to the task of addressing
what many at home and in the international community regarded as the critical
global challenges of the twenty-first century,
After 9/11, the United States declared war on a tactic, terrorism,
without a strategy to undermine
those who employ terrorist tactics.
As if straight out of some Manchurian Candidate spin-off, the White House conducted itself as though it somehow intended to hand one psychological victory after another to the truly dangerous ( as opposed to just politically hostile) Anti-Americans. "
and in another paragraph in the same page, she writes, " The arrests and jailings of thousands of Islamic men at home reinforced the message, intended or not, that Christian America was waging an anti-Muslim crusade."
Alright, Now that my mindset is very much established, here is my point.
The U.S. actions throughout the region are causing more terrorism, and reading this book begged me to question; JUST HOW DO WE PREVENT AND ELIMINATE TERRORISM, SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE SO GOOD AT PROVOKING AND CAUSING IT?
I've researched this issue extensively, and sadly, could NOT find any official government reports or statements or findings saying on how to prevent terrorism, or what even causes it to begin with. So what is that point in fighting a war, if we don't know what we are doing?
The Bush administration is romanticized behind the idea of "Nation-Building", Of bettering a state. However,
That idea is very out-dated, it is a concept very much alive during World War II, but is inadequate today, since these "insurgents"
are without nations, and without governments so its not as easy, as pinning the actions on a single policy, or individual or cabinet of another nation.
In a strategy research project, written, by Kenneth D. Comfort of the United States Army War College, entitled, "Preventing Terrorism Through Nation-Building, A Viable Way?" www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army-usawc/comfort.pdf He offers some very interesting points.
First of all, he exclaims that, Granting aid and giving nations food does NOT necessarily prevent terrorism.
Poverty can exist without terrorism, and terrorism without poverty; so the link between poverty and "failed states" terrorism, is not necessarily true
and lastly,
Going after nations, that give aid to terrorists doesn't stop/end/ reverse the trend of terrorism.
-- These points are very valid, in that, they are basically the ideals behind U.S. Foreign Policy, and It is very clear to see that our actions in the region, using these ideals have helped the region.
Now to the solution, An issue is pretty much dead in the water, without a solution. The moral of the story is that, if you intend to solve a problem. You first need to understand that problem before you can understand how to fix it.
The U.S. is only 200 years old, and is struggling to use democracy and shape Mesopotamia and the Arab world into its image, without having a clear understanding of its people, its culture and its history. We lack "on-the-ground" intelligence to discern what is going on, what the general consensus of the country is, and who these people are.
I have never agreed on going into Iraq, so don't think thats where I'm going with this. The point is that this solution is something that I think is fundamental, and universal in every sense on foreign policy and foreign relations.
I found a website, that composes these ideas together(tee hee)
http://www.afghan-network.net/911/terrorism.html
Preventing Terrorism
Towards a New Approach
By Nicholas Abbey
-- I reorganized the list, per what was most important to me.
1. Refocusing government resources on prevention and solving social, economic, and environmental problems.
2. Vigilance against racial vilification, the violation of civil liberties, and the use of apocalyptic language.
3. Unequivocal condemnation of all acts of terrorism.
4. Bringing the perpetrators to justice based on lawful procedure and respect for the rights and safety of innocent civilians.
5. Preventing the strategic escalation of conflict and a new 'cold war'..
6. A comprehensive strategy under the auspices of the United Nations and linked to non-governmental organizations.
The Organization for The Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued a press release in September 8th, 2006, exclaiming how "The United Nations Adopts Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy" http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2006/PR58_2006.html
The report states that, "5. To strengthen coordination and cooperation among States in combating crimes that might be connected with terrorism, including drug trafficking in all its aspects, illicit arms trade, in particular of small arms and light weapons, including man-portable air defence systems , money laundering and smuggling of nuclear, chemical, biological, radiological and other potentially deadly materials. (...)
13. To step-up national efforts and bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international co-operation, as appropriate, to improve border and customs controls, in order to prevent and detect the movement of terrorists and to prevent and detect the illicit traffic in, inter alia, small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition and explosives, nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons and materials, while recognizing that States may require assistance to that effect. (...)
Let us be clear and realistic here. The reason terrorism is flourishing is because of the Arms trade, because of Drug-Trafficking, and because of Oil, and the truth of the matter is, these issues will not be resolved, because too many rich
nations are involved, too many corporations have their greedy hands in the pot.
Desmond Tutu, in an article written in September considers it a new slave trade.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article1523112.ece
- The richest nations like, Germany, France, Israel, USA and Russia, in 2005, made 82 percent of the arms that entered conflicts in Africa in the Middle East during that year,
Did you think Hezbollah makes their own AK-47s?
Too many goverments get too much money from the darkest corners of the globe. Thats why we 'LOVE' Afghanistan so much. The U.S. and the CIA, have funded and supported drug smugglers, arms dealers and dicatators in Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and of course funded Bin Laden's MAK organization.
http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines01/0708-03.htm
Our hands are too dirty in this, to get out. So we won't ever, ever EVER work to prevent terrorism or separate ourselves from nationalism.
So while we may have a viable answer to the question, it will never be put into action.
Because behind the face of nationalism lies, out bedding with the supposed "enemy"
-- Sorry I got a bit carried away, but alot of these issues are connected in a way, that we wished was a nightmare.
And If you still believe in all our speeches on "Freedom" and "Justice", and "Spreading American Freedom through Democracy", well I'm sorry but your wrong, we aren't the proud, perfect and honest nation that we want others to think that we are.
Our ideas dicate our actions, and our beliefs provide us with motives. No one is immune from that.
posted by Alphaprimer at
10/19/2006 07:14:00 PM
1 Comments:
I stumbled onto this blog via cairogal and you raise many important points that us 'fundamentalist' muslims have known all along. Best beleive we suffer from terrorism in a very pronounced way from the non muslim. We are called fundamentalists because we value our beleifs and we pratice our beleifs and want them known to everyone else, without force or coersion but by dialogue and sincerity.
People like me are many and yet we are the ones who get no air time on radio, tv, or the other biased media of some of the western media outlets. Just because we pray five times a day, try to emulate the actions of our beloved prophet Muhamed, and live according to the Quraan, which we beleive is the speech of God almighty, we are labeled terrorists, extremists.
Jihad is a whole difft thing than indiscriminate killing. How can someone compare a person who just goes out and kills the 'kafir' disbeleiver for the mere sake of him being a disbeleiver with someone who fights and kills for the sake of protecting his family,land, his honour or his wealth from outside oppressive entities? Not a fair comparison.
As sincere,practicing muslims who want to do what Islam has ordained for us, the way to eradicate or even lessen terrorism is by going back to the basics. Look at the people who supposedly did 911, thats a laugh to say they were sincere practicing muslims, its highly embarrassing. Since when the hell do muslim brothers go to a nightclub and then rise in the morning to hijack a plane and kill themselves? haram written all over all of it. And then the Quran that was supposedly found as evidence, that destroyed for us the stance that those are even muslims who are doing ANYTHING for the sake of God. War in the times of our last Prophet Muhamed was not like this at all and this is extreme. Islam is about the middle way, not the overly lenient and not the deep end off the middle. Anyhow its upon all the sincere minded muslims who are on the middle path to educate and propogate the true islam (having good character, being truthful, honest, patient, accountable for our own actions, God fearing, good dealings with people, treasuring our families, and working to become independent, not beggers, thinking about the creation of God , trying to do things which will make the lands we live in a better place, enjoining the good, and forbidding the evil, honoring our bodies we were entrusted with, being esp mindful of cleanliness in all of our actions,striving with ourselves to become better people, not necessarily perfect not possible, but working on changing bad habits to good habits, is an everyday struggle for most people and esp for muslims, etc)to our families and other muslims so they wont have a skewed version based off jihadi type emotionalistic islam shoved at them day in and out on sattelitte tv.
This is a hefty solution but let the muslims solve the problems themselves. We beleive that God has tested us with these trials (such as terrorism) because of things we have done ourselves as muslims. When we live in a time where even the non muslim can blame america for the muslims problems we have a problem, because firstly if we are going through really rough times, the normal person would look at themselves, what did they contribute to the problem, not just blame the 'west'. Until we ourselves get off our behinds as a whole and fix our own problems, sorry it wont help when the west offers help. The best thing they (actually i am american born and raised lol)'i mean superpowers with 'interests(oil, gold etc) based in the muslim regions' do is to get out and not try to force the world to suit their whims. Now the regular people can stay like cairogal lol, but the soldiers and stuff, they gotta go. I mean they need to leave real fast, and muslims should not be calling them one day and telling them to leave the next day, thats the issue too, anyhow ive talked to much beyond what i wanted to say,and nope dont have a blog but i am writing a book one day (Allah willing and May he give me the perserverance for that task!) We as muslims have really got to wake up.We have got many forces against us also like culture clashes and stuff (that i still dont understand esp being a muslim who became muslim and being american born and raised) And thanks to you the owner of this blog for having an interest in the world around you and not just focusing on yourself. That is commendable. I actually know alot of americans who feel this way and like us, your voices are not heard except on bbc in the depth of the night on npr radio.
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ummukatheer, at 3:21 PM
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