Warfare on Terror — World Points

Response to the September 11, 2001 occasions

With disbelief and shock all over the world 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 US, was completely inexcusable and roundly condemned.

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

The next 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, based on an unbiased examine launched firstly of December 2001.

The ghastly terrorist assaults led to a mix of political, social and financial response all over the world.

Hatred and anti-Islam sentiment, (with out distinguishing the despotic militants from unusual Muslims) elevated, regardless that many of the Muslim communities all over the world condemned this act.

Whereas seen efforts had been seen by politicians to attempt to separate terrorists from Muslims basically, it has not been simple. On the one hand, after years of financial and geopolitical historical past, there are some elements 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 ultimately resembled Taliban/Al Qaeda members had been focused. Others noticed this as proof that Islam is inherently violent or that it’s the major menace to the remainder of the world, and so forth. On the Muslim facet, 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 accountable Muslims! In each circumstances 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 US. One couldn’t have anticipated them significantly to chorus from desirous to take revenge. But the concern was in what type this revenge could be and the way it might be carried out in addition to what the influence on unusual 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 all over the world that the CIA had warned George Bush of the threats weeks earlier than September 11. This brought on an uproar in lots of locations, together with the US Congress, the place members demanded extra info to grasp if all these deaths might have been prevented.

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Ensuing Warfare 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 warfare 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 all over the world for its stances on varied points domestically and internationally. Even European and different allies had been very essential of positions on quite a few world 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 kinds of points, starting from financial/globalization points which have deepened poverty and/or inequality for most individuals all over the world; geopolitics/arms/missile protection; environmental points and so forth. Protests both straight, or not directly at U.S. insurance policies have occurred all all over the world—particularly on globalization points—as talked about on this website. (See the part on world 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 accurately identified that when different areas all over the world have confronted related terrorist assaults, the outpouring of concern and condemnation has not been as a lot. The Washington Put up (September 12, 2001) even dared to confess this at such a delicate time shortly after the assaults. (Their article is 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 had been involved in regards to the ensuing crackdown of freedoms and civil liberties in varied nations. Many nervous that varied international locations all over the world would additionally use this warfare 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 identify 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 protection 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 applied could also be used to curb fundamental human rights and to suppress inside opposition. Among the definitions of terrorism underneath dialogue are so broad that they may very well be used to criminalize anybody out of favor with these in energy and criminalize reputable peaceable train of the best to freedom of expression and affiliation. They may additionally put in danger the best to privateness and threaten the rights of minorities and asylum-seekers.

In Could 2003, Amnesty Worldwide charged, The warfare 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 concern—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 private info might be made obtainable 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 cheap for safety. On the overseas coverage enviornment, there was rising concern that the U.S. would be capable to use the warfare on terror to pursue aggressive insurance policies that had been beforehand criticized by many different individuals. This will vary from financial, to political and even army insurance policies. The Iraq warfare was one such instance, the place amongst different issues, the priority of terrorism was used to justify a warfare in opposition to Iraq, regardless that the terrorism hyperlinks weren’t actual.

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

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

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Mainstream Media

Whereas residents all over the place, particularly Individuals, had been rightly outraged on the assaults, the mainstream media has largely targeting the results, the assorted aftermaths and impacts, and reporting what political leaders are doing, saying or not doing, or not saying, and so forth. They’ve additionally reported immense element on a number of the elements of the particular bombing in Afghanistan, and so forth. 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 gas such outrageous militant extremism and terrorism.

The so-called vary of discourse then, is sort of slender, however inside it, protection is sort of detailed. The reporting of some elements is certainly very transferring and excellent. There’s, nonetheless, acceptable criticism of some extremism creeping into some elements of the mainstream media as properly, in sure circumstances. Importantly although, our vary of views can also 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’s part: Warfare on Terror Mainstream Media and Propaganda)

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Will violence result in extra violence?

With all of the vivid imagery, we are able to solely now start to think about how different individuals and societies all over the world have suffered in different conditions. With typically worse outcomes, albeit not so sudden and stunning, total 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 checklist 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 had been believed to have been killed by U.S. bombing. Moreover, many support companies 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 might end in extra retaliated violence and we threat tit-for-tat violence that appears arduous 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 in opposition to 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’s not simple, and even loads of the peace motion battle on this reply, however maybe if extra voice was given within the media to those broader views, then various ideas may very well be thought of. 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 restricted 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 Japanese leaders. For instance, the help by the west of brutal leaders within the center east has contributed to an extremist backlash. Of their struggle to get the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan, Osama Bin Laden himself, in addition to different jihadists, had been supported by the US, encouraging the coaching of jihadists and the rise of miltantism to impress opposition to the communists. Because the article within the earlier hyperlink implies, whereas it appears that evidently the lesser of two evils was supported, maybe the long run penalties weren’t absolutely explored and it does appear that violence and concern breeds extra violence and concern.

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President Bush shedding the warfare on terror

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Extra articles and hyperlinks

On quite a few fronts there are various, 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. Consequently, for now, till I’m able to catch up, included under, underneath this part on the warfare on terrorism are articles reposted from different websites and authors from all over the world 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 Info web page is a rising assortment of hyperlinks and sources to different websites that provide deeper views.

I don’t essentially agree with all the views of all of the hyperlinks and sources offered, and not at all are they a complete checklist, somewhat an instance.

Among the extra mainstream sources focus way more on the results and aftermaths, whereas a number of the different sources additionally provide deeper evaluation on causes in addition to ramifications all over the world. These websites have extra hyperlinks you can comply with to different websites. Extra websites might be added as time goes on.

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