Terrorism
By Rachel Green
12th grade
originated in the Middle East, with the most well known terrorists, Osama bin Laden, Mohammad Atef, and Ramzi Ahmed Yousef. Between those three, they have accomplished the destruction of the World Trade Center, part of the Pentagon, the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole and the bombing of the United States Embassy in Kenya in 1995. There are other terrorists that are not from the Middle East, such as the Unabomber and Timothy McVeigh. The Unabomber sent bombs through the mail to protest technology. He sent these to colleges and other places that supported advances in technology. Timothy McVeigh was responsible for the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building.
The first thing that we need to do is try to find the definition of what terrorism really is. Since Webster’s described it as “the use of terror to gain a political objective,” and there was not a clear political objective after the September 11 attacks, that cannot be the real definition. “If we don’t understand what we are up against, anything we do to combat it is going to backfire”. Until we figure out what we are fighting, the road to ending terrorism will be a long one.
Another thing we need to do is figure out why these terrorists have hatred pointed toward us. What did we do to make them hate us so much? One author says it is because “The United States shot down two Libyan plays in 1981, bombed Beirut in 1983-4, sank an Iranian ship in 1987, bombed Iraq repeatedly in the 1990’s, and Sudan and Afghanistan in 1998”. Even if the United States had not done any of these things, we would still be a target. What else is at the root of all their rage? Fareed Zakaria says, “We stand for freedom and they hate it. We are rich and they envy us. We are strong and they resent that”. All of that is true, but there are poor people in the United States. However, terrorists do not go around blowing themselves up to kill thousands of innocent people just because they might be a little better off. There’s more to it that just jealousy and poverty.
The fact that we are of another religion is another factor in terrorists’ anger against us. One author says, “What we are dealing with is fundamentally a religious issue”. Many people believe that the only difference between Americans and Afghans is the simple fact that we are from a Christian background and they are from a Muslim background. Many people believe that the whole religion of Islam is against us. That is not true. Osama bin Laden convinces his followers to commit terrible acts of terrorism. He tells them that when they commit acts that involve killing Americans, they are automatically admitted into heaven. This religious order to kill Americans is called a “fatwah.” We know that this problem is a religious issue because with political issues, there are demands and negations. Terrorism has been called a “clash of civilizations.”
Now that we know more about our terrorism problem, we can attempt to solve the problem. One thing that we can do about it is attempt to educate the people, especially children of the United States and Western countries about terrorism. We have to let the Muslims know that we are fighting against terrorism, not the religion of Islam. Once these people realize this, they will be more willing to allow the United States to come in and fight our war. But to them, “American actions are never going to seem entirely fair”. We have to let the people of Afghanistan know that we are there to help them get control of their country back as well as eliminate the terrorist problem.
Another thing that we can do is “devise a strategy to deal with this form of religious terrorism”. Our war will be a long one with many battles, small and large. This strategy should be divided along three different lines: “military, political, and cultural”. If the United States can use these strategies, there might be a way to defeat the problem of terrorism.
The first strategy that the United States should use is military action. The main goal of this scheme is to totally destroy the Al Qadea network, which is run by Osama bin Laden. What is meant by military is to have a war, covert operations, and other actions with the main intent of ending the Taliban’s rule. About five years ago the Taliban over threw the Afghan government. Since then the whole country has been disrupted. Also every person who plans or helps any way with a terrorist act must know that he or she will be tracked down and punished. This project will cost a lot of money, but if the scheme works, the money will not seem to be a big deal.
The second strategy that the United States should use is the political strategy. This strategy will be “more complex and more ambitious”. This will involve working with other countries. Some of these countries have clearly supported terrorism in the past. Our job in ending terrorism will be to help these countries re-enter the world community and reform their ways. “Given the nature of this war, we will need the constant cooperation of other governments-- to make arrests, shut down safe houses, close bank accounts and share intelligence”.
The third, and probably most important element to this battle is the cultural strategy. Our job will be ”To help Islam enter the modern world”. This task will not be the easiest of our options, but it can be done. “America faces a dire security threat that will not be resolved unless we can stop the political, economic and cultural collapse that lies at the roots of Arab rage,” says Zakaria. To help Afghanistan become more culturalized, we have to help moderate them, but only on the condition that they embrace what we teach them. We can’t help them if they will not let us. The other thing we will have to do is help construct a new political structure. After all, we are trying to take out the Taliban, which is their main government control. Once we get their political problems straightened out, and they are back on their own, we will have to include them in our business world. We will have to treat them just like any other country with goods that we need. If the United States does all of the above things, the problem of terrorism might be solved.
Can terrorism be stopped without even being defined? We will never know if terrorism can be stopped if we do not attempt to put a stop to it. In the United States we know that to stop this the people at the head of organizations must be stopped first, then work our way down their infrastructure. Once these people have been eliminated, the problem of terrorism will hopefully be destroyed as well. When terrorism is gone, the lives of the American people will continue as normal.
1. Why in your opinion, was the United States attacked?
ANSWER: In my opinion the United States was attacked just because Osama bin Laden doesn’t like us. He is jealous of the things we have and he is upset because we do not have the same religion as he and his followers.
2. Why is the first question so important to resolve and agree upon?
ANSWER: We all, as Americans, should agree on the fact that we are disliked by Osama bin Laden and his followers. When all Americans realize this, we can all bond together and fight this problem.
3. What action or inaction by the United States and its allies, in the author’s opinion, increased the likelihood of chemical and biological attacks?
ANSWER: The action that increased the likelihood of chemical and biological attacks was when the United States and its allies backed down from Saddam Hussen’s refusal to allow inspections of suspected Iraqi weapons manufacturing facilities.
4. Why does the author believe the United States is a popular target for terrorists?
ANSWER: The author thinks that we are a popular target because we have bombed other countries in the past. The author also says, even if none of these things had happened, we would still be a target.
5. What motivates terrorists, in the author’s opinion?
ANSWER: The terrorists were told that when they died doing their evil towards us, they would receive an everlasting life.
6. What reasons does the author give for the intense hatred of the United States by people like Osama bin Laden?
ANSWER: The author says that the reason that people like Osama bin Laden have extreme hatred towards the United States is just a religious issue. He says that these people are simply deranged psychopaths with a warped political agenda.
7. How does rule by divine right preclude the reasoned debate that occurs naturally in a democracy?
ANSWER: The divine right eliminates reasoned debate or consideration of basic rights because the ruler gets his orders from God.
8. What evidence does the author offer that the terrorism visited upon the United States on September 11, 2001 was based on religious rather than political fanaticism?
ANSWER: The author says the attack on September 11, 2001, was more a religious attack than political because their government is run by religious leaders. Government not led by religious people is considered heretical.
9. What is a fatwah?
ANSWER: A fatwah is an explicit religious order making it the holy duty of Muslims to kill American civilians.
10. Why does the author think new attacks are likely and how does he/she suggest we stop them?
ANSWER: The author thinks more attacks are possible. The only way to stop them is to become Muslim or eliminate the people who are declaring war on us.
11. Why does the author claim that declaring war is futile? What two historical examples does he/she give to back up this claim?
ANSWER: The author thinks that declaring war is futile because the area of terrorism is way too broad. Some examples of this are the War on Drugs, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War.
12. Complete this sentence using the author’s words: “A declaration of war implies…
ANSWER: …a conflict of limited duration in which one side eventually surrenders or capitulates and the other side wins.”
13. What does the author suggest we do?
ANSWER: The author suggests that we defend ourselves.
14. Explain the significance of the Coventry story.
ANSWER: The significance of the Coventry story is that sometimes to get one thing, you might have to lose another.
15. Suppose you were a general in a combat situation. Could you “consort with evil to prevent a larger evil”? Why or why not?
ANSWER: No, because if you start with just a little bit of evil, that evil will grow to be the size of the larger evil, and the larger evil would also become larger. Sooner or later everything would be evil.
16. The author says something is un-American. What is it? Do you think that the author is correct? Please write out your own definition of un-American.
ANSWER: The author says, “Turning our anger on them because of our frustration in being unable to get the real villain is bad strategy,” is un-American. Un-American is breaking laws, killing people and being terrible citizens.
17. Do you agree that terrorism must be defined adequately in order to be stopped?
ANSWER: Yes, I think you need to know what you are trying to stop before you just jump out there and try to stop it.
18. How important do you think it is for you to research, discuss, and consider the definition of terrorism? Are you willing to spend the time it takes to give your definition your very best effort? Why or why not?
ANSWER: I think that it is fairly important that people know the definition of terrorism. I’m willing to try to get the definition so maybe in the future some life will be helped because of something I did.
19. Were you able to define terrorism in your essay without admitting that the United States has been guilty of terrorist acts?
ANSWER: Yes. Even though the United States has bombed other countries, these bombings were not done for terroristic reasons.
20. Are you optimistic about the future? Will you pledge to do your part in pursuing mutual understanding? Why or why not?
ANSWER: I think that in the future things will be better. I will do my part to help in the future by helping others to understand different people. I can make a difference in the world.