Struggle 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 Heart towers and into the Pentagon. What might be the worst terrorist assault on the US, was completely inexcusable and roundly condemned.

Some 3000 have been killed. Preliminary fears have been that it was over 6000 Plenty of elements for this revised quantity, have been mentioned 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 means cut back the impression 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 unbiased research launched in the beginning 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 extraordinary Muslims) elevated, despite the fact that a lot of the Muslim communities all over the world condemned this act.

Whereas seen efforts have been seen by politicians to attempt to separate terrorists from Muslims generally, it has not been straightforward. On the one hand, after years of financial and geopolitical historical past, there are some features of mistrust, whereas alternatively, 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 indirectly resembled Taliban/Al Qaeda members have been focused. Others noticed this as proof that Islam is inherently violent or that it’s the major risk to the remainder of the world, and so on. 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 guilty Muslims! In each instances these appear to be a minority of individuals with such excessive views however after all the priority is all the time that it’ll improve 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 eager to take revenge. But the worry was in what type this revenge could be and the way it could be carried out in addition to what the impression on extraordinary Afghans could be, who’ve already suffered by the hands of the Taliban and outdoors 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 triggered an uproar in lots of locations, together with the US Congress, the place members demanded extra info to know if all these deaths may 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 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 have been very vital 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 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 web page. (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 identical time, individuals have accurately identified that when different areas all over the world have confronted comparable 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.)

Nevertheless, 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 anxious 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, contemplate the issues Amnesty Worldwide raised in October 2001, shortly after the September 11, 2001 assaults: Within the identify of combating 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 accountability 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 applied could also be used to curb fundamental human rights and to suppress inside opposition. Among the definitions of terrorism below dialogue are so broad that they might be used to criminalize anybody out of favor with these in energy and criminalize reputable peaceable train of the correct to freedom of expression and affiliation. They may additionally put in danger the correct 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 impression of all that is real worry—among the many prosperous in addition to the poor.

Even within the U.S. among the ensuing insurance policies on how suspects shall be handled, on how entry to non-public info shall be made accessible 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 enviornment, there was rising concern that the U.S. would be capable to use the warfare on terror to pursue aggressive insurance policies that have been beforehand criticized by many different individuals. This may 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, despite the fact that the terrorism hyperlinks weren’t actual.

Additionally of significance, with its unfastened definition of terror, there’s concern that the warfare on terror , can even have an effect on all these working truthfully for peace and social justice for all, as even they’ll 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 People, have been rightly outraged on the assaults, the mainstream media has largely targeting 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 features of the particular bombing in Afghanistan, and so on. As with most different conflicts in latest historical past although, whereas huge 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 features is certainly very transferring and excellent. There’s, nevertheless, applicable criticism of some extremism creeping into some features of the mainstream media as nicely, 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 might be dedicated. (For extra on the protection of the media, with evaluation and critique of the mainstream media itself, see this web page’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 individuals and societies all over the world have suffered in different conditions. With usually worse outcomes, albeit not so sudden and surprising, whole cities/areas have been leveled and/or huge 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 have 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, relatively than an efficient one.

Maybe one of many greatest fears, voiced earlier than the retaliation began, is that retaliated violence may end in extra retaliated violence and we threat tit-for-tat violence that appears onerous 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 straightforward, and even quite a lot 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 might be thought of. True, extra on peace-related options are mentioned in TV boards and debates, however with regards to 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, largely.

On the overseas coverage entrance, even latest 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 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 it appears that evidently the lesser of two evils was supported, maybe the long run penalties weren’t totally explored and it does appear that violence and worry breeds extra violence and worry.

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President Bush dropping 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 jot down on. It’s tough 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 internet sites and authors from all over the world that supply 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 supply deeper views.

I don’t essentially agree with all the views of all of the hyperlinks and sources offered, and in no way are they a complete checklist, relatively an instance.

Among the extra mainstream sources focus way more on the consequences and aftermaths, whereas among the different sources additionally supply deeper evaluation on causes in addition to ramifications all over the world. These websites have extra hyperlinks that you could comply with to different internet sites. Extra websites shall be added as time goes on.

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