Struggle on Terror — World Points

Response to the September 11, 2001 occasions

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

Some 3000 had been killed. Preliminary fears had been that it was over 6000 A lot of elements for this revised quantity, had been stated to incorporate preliminary overestimates; a couple of individual reporting the identical lacking individual; heroic rescue operations, and so on. This decrease quantity doesn’t in any means cut 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 keeping with an impartial research launched firstly of December 2001.

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

Hatred and anti-Islam sentiment, (with out distinguishing the despotic militants from bizarre Muslims) elevated, though 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 typically, it has not been simple. On the one hand, after years of financial and geopolitical historical past, there are some elements of mistrust, whereas however, 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 had been focused. Others noticed this as proof that Islam is inherently violent or that it’s the main risk to the remainder of the world, and so on. On the Muslim aspect, there have additionally been equally excessive reactions, from assist of those terrorist acts to even being satisfied that this was some kind of Zionist conspiracy responsible Muslims! In each circumstances these appear to be a minority of individuals with such excessive views however in fact the priority is at all times that it’ll improve 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 severely to chorus from desirous to take revenge. But the concern was in what kind this revenge can be and the way it might be carried out in addition to what the influence on bizarre Afghans can 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 induced an uproar in lots of locations, together with the USA Congress, the place members demanded extra info to know if all these deaths might have been prevented.

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Ensuing Struggle 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 assist for Bush and his recognition 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 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. international 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 instantly, 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 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 folks. On the identical time, folks 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 Publish (September 12, 2001) even dared to confess this at such a delicate time shortly after the assaults. (Their article is not on-line.)

Nevertheless, behind the unity of the American folks within the shock of September 11, a heightened sense of safety resulted with considerations reverberating all through the world. Many had been involved concerning 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, think about the considerations 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 protection of their residents, however measures taken should not undermine elementary human rights requirements. It seems that among the initiatives at present being mentioned or carried out could also be used to curb fundamental human rights and to suppress inner 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 professional peaceable train of the fitting to freedom of expression and affiliation. They may additionally put in danger the fitting 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 folks 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. among the ensuing insurance policies on how suspects will probably be handled, on how entry to private info will probably be made obtainable for safety considerations 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 international coverage area, 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 folks. This will vary from financial, to political and even navy 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, though the terrorism hyperlinks weren’t actual.

Additionally of significance, with its free definition of terror, there may be concern that the warfare on terror , may also have an effect on all these working actually for peace and social justice for all, as even they may come below 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 focused on the consequences, the varied 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 among the elements 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 sort of slender, however inside it, protection is sort of detailed. The reporting of some elements is certainly very shifting and superb. There may be, nonetheless, applicable 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 online’s part: Struggle 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 folks and societies all over the world have suffered in different conditions. With usually 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 record right here.

With the US-led bombing marketing campaign on Afghanistan, there has at all times been increasingly more 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 help businesses criticized the meals drops for not delivering a lot precise help and being a token gesture, reasonably than an efficient one.

Maybe one of many greatest fears, voiced earlier than the retaliation began, is that retaliated violence might lead to 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 at all times 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? After all it’s not simple, and even plenty of the peace motion battle 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 alternate options are mentioned in TV boards and debates, however in the case of the precise reporting and one-on-one dialogue and evaluation, the context is restricted to the present actions and choices. The discussions are due to this fact inside these confines, principally.

On the international 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 assist 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, 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 dropping the warfare on terror

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Further articles and hyperlinks

On quite a few fronts there are lots of, many issues occurring which readers have requested me to jot down on. It’s troublesome to maintain up with all of the angles with the view to jot down on all of them. In consequence, for now, till I’m able to catch up, included under, below this part on the warfare on terrorism are articles reposted from different web pages and authors from all over the world that supply quite a lot 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 web pages that supply deeper views.

I don’t essentially agree with the entire views of all of the hyperlinks and sources supplied, and in no way are they a complete record, reasonably an instance.

A few of the extra mainstream sources focus far more on the consequences and aftermaths, whereas among the different sources additionally provide deeper evaluation on causes in addition to ramifications all over the world. These websites have extra hyperlinks you could comply with to different web pages. Extra websites will probably be added as time goes on.

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