Is it Terrorism to Attack Terrorists? Terrorism is politically motivated violence intended to intimidate and terrify. When U.S. embassies were bombed in Kenya and Tanzania, Washington decided to retaliate. On Aug. 20, 1998, the U.S. launched military strikes at what they believed were terrorist-related bases in Afghanistan and Sudan. They believed these groups played a key role in the embassy bombings.
The most significant one being the Osama bin Laden plan on destroying the twin towers in September 11 of the year 2001. The changes in terrorism has evolved to a dramatic negative spin with inspired terrorists of our own country. The 9/11 attack heated the whole terrorist idea making it dangerous for those innocent people who pay the consequence of those who seek change with violence.
Overshadowing all these, we are witnessing new Muslim movements and a new kind of populist, aggressive and literalist Muslim leadership struggling to emerge. The Taliban and their guest from Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden, who is accused of masterminding the bombing of the American embassies in Africa in 1998, best symbolizes this trend. In other countries such as Algeria, Egypt and Pakistan, similar Muslim leaders actively challenge the established rulers. For these warriors of Islam, the injustices of their rulers and the fact that some enjoy support in the West, all the cultural invasion of western media images, as well as the stereotypes of Islam in the Western media such as the 1998 Hollywood film The Siege, in which Muslims are shown as terrorists and fanatics, highlight the serious cultural and political problems that Muslims face. These coupled with the indifference of the West to them, combine to create a focus on the West as the enemy.
The organization is most infamously known for its attacks on the world trade center in New York city on September 11th 2001. This essay will inform as to what is the current situation with Al-Qaeda in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. We will also discuss the roots of the issue, and what caused the resurgence in strength of Al-Qaeda. Next we will talk about the effects and consequences Al-Qaeda's growth has had on both the battlefield and on other countries all around the world. Then we will discuss the controversy that Al-Qaeda has caused with other moderate rebels in Syria and between countries around the world.
Sean Foster CHID 390 Justifying War: Orientalism Discourse in Media and Politics After the tragedy and chaos of September 11th, 2001 there was an expectation for the United States to respond with aggression. In his address to the nation, President George W. Bush stated “The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts…We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.” It became apparent that the perpetrators were affiliates of the radical Muslim group Al-Qaida, and with Al-Qaida as the espoused target the War on Terror in the Middle East began. War was presented as the only course of action. The attacks on the World Trade Center elicited fear in the US public and a post-9/11 state of emergency regarding homeland security made war … It started in Afghanistan and eventually transitioned into Iraq. I will discuss how an Orientalist discourse used by politicians and the media framed and justified the War on Terror .
Radical Muslims took the meaning of Jihad to an extreme measure of performing violent acts for it is what their “God wants”. Some Muslims viewed the attack as heroic and martyr’s for their sacrifice under the name of Jihad. The Taliban’s act of war can be applied to the Just War theory. According to the Jus ad Bellum, the Taliban’s just cause to attack America was their claim on fighting for religious purposes. The radical leader of the Taliban, Osama Bin Laden, led the 9/11 attacks.
The terrorist threat posed to United States (U.S.) interests within the Horn of Africa (HOA) is represented by one terrorist organization in particular, al-Shabaab. Areas of concern towards key strategic interests for the U.S. consist of armed conflicts, violent extremism, global trade, and maritime security in which al-Shabaab possess an influential capacity to disrupt, which effects political, economic, and social stability throughout region. As countries within the HOA continue to gain strategic importance to U.S. interest and policy makers, al-Shabaab and the various entities they collaborate with affect the stability of the region and remain a prevalent threat. Al-Shabaab initially began operations within the Somalian borders in resistance to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopia, and later dictated their role in opposing western influence in the region. The ultimate driving force behind the organization is to establish an Islamic state in Somalia.
Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East view America's presence in Saudi Arabia as blasphemous and intolerable . The preservation of face and appearance of strength are key elements in the world of the Middle East that evidence themselves in various ways. Extreme humiliation and oppression are two of the factors involved in inciting desperate people who feel shamed and weak to violent actions such as terrorism. Also, Arab nations feel that they must appear to have the superior position when taking part in foreign diplomatic negotiations. The domestic climate of an Arab nation plays a role in negotiations as well.
The latest crisis instigated by Baghdad, when she expelled the American inspectors, had other aims than the general aim reflected in strengthening the American presence and hegemony over the Gulf. America had claimed during the crisis through her defence secretary William Cohen that Iraq had acquired lethal biological weapons, and that she possessed sufficient quantities to exterminate the whole human race. This claim is in fact a message to the Jews, aimed at making them realise the dangerous consequences awaiting them if Netanyahu were to continue in his policy of confrontation with the Arabs and to work towards destroying the peace process. In addition to this, the Iraqi humanitarian needs were also highlighted during the crisis, noting that the agreement signed with the United Nations, known as "Oil for Food and Medicine" does not meet Iraq's needs, which means the Iraqi oil revenues must be increased. What is remarkable is that during the crisis, the focus was on one issue which in fact should have been evident, but it has for a long
Sudan is a rogue state because of its domestic policies towards its people, its external support of terrorism, and its choices in alliances with foreign countries also considered to be rogue. The idea of a rogue state has been around since the 1970’s, but its definition has changed over the decades. Prior to major terrorist attacks such as 9/11 or the bombing of the Marine base in Lebanon, U.S. policy considered “rogue states” as places that had non-democratic political system whose domestic policies mistreated its populace. These were states that were carrying out genocides or criminal mistreatment of minority groups. After the use of terrorism began to be more relevant and used as a tool for obtaining a groups goals, the definition of a rogue state shifted to how the state was affecting the United States versus its effects domestically.