Conflict on Terror — International Points

Response to the September 11, 2001 occasions

With disbelief and shock world wide individuals noticed the information footage of the occasions on September 11, 2001 when the planes-turned-missiles slammed into the World Commerce Middle towers and into the Pentagon. What might be the worst terrorist assault on the USA, was completely inexcusable and roundly condemned.

Some 3000 have been killed. Preliminary fears have been that it was over 6000 Quite a few elements for this revised quantity, have been stated to incorporate preliminary overestimates; a couple of particular person reporting the identical lacking particular person; heroic rescue operations, and so on. This decrease quantity doesn’t in any approach scale back the influence although.)

The following bombing of Afghanistan to assault Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terrorist community and the Taliban for harboring them has additionally led to some 3,500 civilian deaths, in accordance with an impartial research launched originally of December 2001.

The ghastly terrorist assaults led to a combination of political, social and financial response world wide.

Hatred and anti-Islam sentiment, (with out distinguishing the despotic militants from strange Muslims) elevated, although many of the Muslim communities world wide condemned this act.

Whereas seen efforts have been seen by politicians to attempt to separate terrorists from Muslims typically, it has not been simple. On the one hand, after years of financial and geopolitical historical past, there are some facets of mistrust, whereas then again, extremists within the Muslim and Christian communities are including to the antagonisms. For instance, throughout the top of the shock and anger to the September 11 assaults, extremist tendencies within the West resulted in beatings and even killings of Muslims. Even non-Muslims that simply occurred to have lengthy beards or in a roundabout way resembled Taliban/Al Qaeda members have been focused. Others noticed this as proof that Islam is inherently violent or that it’s the main menace to the remainder of the world, and so on. On the Muslim aspect, there have additionally been equally excessive reactions, from help of those terrorist acts to even being satisfied that this was some kind of Zionist conspiracy responsible Muslims! In each instances these appear to be a minority of individuals with such excessive views however in fact the priority is all the time that it’ll enhance over time.

There was no query that there was going to be some kind of retaliation and response from the USA. One couldn’t have anticipated them significantly to chorus from eager to take revenge. But the worry was in what type this revenge could be and the way it might be carried out in addition to what the influence on strange Afghans could be, who’ve already suffered by the hands of the Taliban and out of doors forces for years.

As well as, some eight months after the assaults it was revealed within the mainstream press world wide that the CIA had warned George Bush of the threats weeks earlier than September 11. This precipitated an uproar in lots of locations, together with the USA Congress, the place members demanded extra info to grasp if all these deaths may have been prevented.

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Ensuing Conflict on Terror

The horrible occasions of September 11 noticed the appreciable quieting of what was till then rising home and worldwide criticism of the Bush Administration. The September 11 occasions resulted in a conflict on terror which noticed help for Bush and his reputation soar on the time.

As much as September 11, 2001, the Bush administration was being criticized world wide for its stances on varied points domestically and internationally. Even European and different allies have been very crucial of positions on quite a few international points.

However even earlier than the Bush Administration, all through the world, many countries and teams of individuals had expressed their frustrations at how U.S. overseas insurance policies had affected them on all types of points, starting from financial/globalization points which have deepened poverty and/or inequality for most individuals world wide; geopolitics/arms/missile protection; environmental points and so forth. Protests both immediately, or not directly at U.S. insurance policies have occurred all world wide—particularly on globalization points—as talked about on this website online. (See the part on international protests for extra on that, for instance).

But that can’t be an excuse for the atrocity of September 11 because it killed many harmless individuals. On the similar time, individuals have appropriately identified that when different areas world wide have confronted comparable terrorist assaults, the outpouring of concern and condemnation has not been as a lot. The Washington Submit (September 12, 2001) even dared to confess this at such a delicate time shortly after the assaults. (Their article is now not on-line.)

Nonetheless, behind the unity of the American individuals within the shock of September 11, a heightened sense of safety resulted with issues reverberating all through the world. Many have been involved in regards to the ensuing crackdown of freedoms and civil liberties in varied nations. Many fearful that varied international locations world wide would additionally use this conflict on terror as an excuse to pursue extra aggressive choices on their very own residents.

For instance, take into account the issues Amnesty Worldwide raised in October 2001, shortly after the September 11, 2001 assaults: Within the title of preventing worldwide terrorism, governments have rushed to introduce draconian new measures that threaten the human rights of their very own residents, immigrants and refugees…. Governments have a duty to make sure the security of their residents, however measures taken should not undermine elementary human rights requirements. It seems that a number of the initiatives at present being mentioned or carried out could also be used to curb fundamental human rights and to suppress inside opposition. A few of the definitions of terrorism below dialogue are so broad that they may very well be used to criminalize anybody out of favor with these in energy and criminalize authentic peaceable train of the suitable to freedom of expression and affiliation. They might additionally put in danger the suitable to privateness and threaten the rights of minorities and asylum-seekers.

In Might 2003, Amnesty Worldwide charged, The conflict on terror, removed from making the world a safer place, has made it extra harmful by curbing human rights, undermining the rule of worldwide regulation and shielding governments from scrutiny. It has deepened divisions amongst individuals of various faiths and origins, sowing the seeds for extra battle. The overwhelming influence of all that is real worry—among the many prosperous in addition to the poor.

Even within the U.S. a number of the ensuing insurance policies on how suspects might be handled, on how entry to non-public info might be made out there for safety issues and so forth, led to debates in any respect ranges on what is taken into account an assault on civil liberties, and what’s affordable for safety. On the overseas coverage area, there was rising concern that the U.S. would be capable to use the conflict on terror to pursue aggressive insurance policies that have been beforehand criticized by many different individuals. This could vary from financial, to political and even navy insurance policies. The Iraq conflict was one such instance, the place amongst different issues, the priority of terrorism was used to justify a conflict towards Iraq, although the terrorism hyperlinks weren’t actual.

Additionally of significance, with its free definition of terror, there’s concern that the conflict on terror , may also have an effect on all these working truthfully for peace and social justice for all, as even they are going to come below scrutiny for maybe appropriately criticizing insurance policies of any variety of nations and organizations world wide, together with these from the West.

The conflict on terror has in some respects, led to what has been described as a conflict on freedom.

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Mainstream Media

Whereas residents in every single place, particularly Individuals, have been rightly outraged on the assaults, the mainstream media has largely focused on the consequences, the assorted aftermaths and impacts, and reporting what political leaders are doing, saying or not doing, or not saying, and so on. They’ve additionally reported immense element on a number of the facets of the particular bombing in Afghanistan, and so on. As with most different conflicts in current historical past although, whereas monumental in amount, media reporting seems comparatively missing in depth, historic context, and investigative evaluation on the causes that gasoline such outrageous militant extremism and terrorism.

The so-called vary of discourse then, is kind of slender, however inside it, protection is kind of detailed. The reporting of some facets is certainly very shifting and excellent. There’s, nonetheless, acceptable criticism of some extremism creeping into some facets of the mainstream media as properly, in sure circumstances. Importantly although, our vary of views can be affected by the vary of discourse. That is particularly related now, as residents search solutions on how and why such a horrible atrocity may very well be dedicated. (For extra on the protection of the media, with evaluation and critique of the mainstream media itself, see this website online’s part: Conflict on Terror Mainstream Media and Propaganda)

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Will violence result in extra violence?

With all of the vivid imagery, we will solely now start to think about how different individuals and societies world wide have suffered in different conditions. With typically worse outcomes, albeit not so sudden and stunning, complete cities/areas have been leveled and/or monumental quantity of life has been misplaced in locations like Kosovo, Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Timor, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, throughout Europe throughout the World Wars, and too many different locations to have the ability to record right here.

With the US-led bombing marketing campaign on Afghanistan, there has all the time been increasingly concern about civilians being caught within the center. Certainly, by early December 2001, some 3,500 Afghan civilians have been believed to have been killed by U.S. bombing. Moreover, many support businesses criticized the meals drops for not delivering a lot precise support and being a token gesture, somewhat than an efficient one.

Maybe one of many greatest fears, voiced earlier than the retaliation began, is that retaliated violence may lead to extra retaliated violence and we threat tit-for-tat violence that appears laborious to get out of. In all this, civilians on all sides will all the time be affected. We solely want remind ourselves of that shuddering speech by Osama Bin Laden on his threats of retaliation towards civilians and of assorted hawkish politicians within the West asking for the equal of no mercy. Martin Luther King is price quoting:

But, how does one get out of this vicious circle? In fact it isn’t simple, and even lots of the peace motion wrestle on this reply, however maybe if extra voice was given within the media to those broader views, then different ideas may very well be thought-about. True, extra on peace-related options are mentioned in TV boards and debates, however relating to the precise reporting and one-on-one dialogue and evaluation, the context is proscribed to the present actions and choices. The discussions are subsequently inside these confines, principally.

On the overseas coverage entrance, even current historical past of the final 50 years or so has been questionable by each Western leaders and Center Jap leaders. For instance, the help by the west of brutal leaders within the center east has contributed to an extremist backlash. Of their battle to get the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan, Osama Bin Laden himself, in addition to different jihadists, have been supported by the US, encouraging the coaching of jihadists and the rise of miltantism to provoke opposition to the communists. Because the article within the earlier hyperlink implies, whereas evidently the lesser of two evils was supported, maybe the long run penalties weren’t absolutely explored and it does appear that violence and worry breeds extra violence and worry.

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President Bush shedding the conflict on terror

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Extra articles and hyperlinks

On quite a few fronts there are a lot of, many issues happening which readers have requested me to write down on. It’s tough to maintain up with all of the angles with the view to write down on all of them. Because of this, for now, till I’m able to catch up, included under, below this part on the conflict on terrorism are articles reposted from different internet sites and authors from world wide that provide a wide range of deeper and wider views and views. They’re broadly categorized into the sections listed under, though many articles can simply match different classes too.

Additionally, within the Extra Data web page is a rising assortment of hyperlinks and sources to different internet sites that provide deeper views.

I don’t essentially agree with all the views of all of the hyperlinks and sources supplied, and on no account are they a complete record, somewhat an instance.

A few of the extra mainstream sources focus rather more on the consequences and aftermaths, whereas a number of the different sources additionally supply deeper evaluation on causes in addition to ramifications world wide. These websites have extra hyperlinks that you could observe to different internet sites. Extra websites might be added as time goes on.

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