The Future is Unclear

The future is unknown but one thing is certain and that is that terrorism is the new threat that the world must live with. The threat is no longer Communism and the evil Soviet Union that America feared so much during the Cold War. Terrorist attacks can happen at any time and there is no longer a 30 minute warning during the time that you can see the missile coming towards you from space. The terrorist attacks that have happened over the past seven years show that terrorist attacks can happen at any time and that the majority are directed to achieve mass civilian casualties. The tragic attacks that just happened in India reinforce that a terrorist attack can happen any where. With terrorist attacks becoming more prevalent in the world more needs to be done to stop terrorism. As a nation and as a world we must stand ready to fight the terrorists that are trying to bring destruction to our way of life. This is not just the problem for the United States or its allies to solve because terrorism affects everyone in this world. More needs to be done on an International level to combat terrorism.

One Attack to Many

In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India that killed 172 people and wounded over 239 people. A pattern is forming throughout the world when looking at terrorist attacks. Since September 11, 2001, after the most deadly terrorist attack in history, terrorist attacks have become more frequent and bold. The recent terrorist attack in India is just adding more evidence to the theory that terrorism is going to become a more common and deadly occurrence throughout the world. Since 9/11, terrorist attacks throughout the world have become a daily occurrence and with every major attack the outcome is becoming deadlier.

The international community as a whole needs to come together to fight terrorism, not just a few states like we have today. Terrorism affects everyone in the world not just the country that was attacked. A terrorist attack could hurt the economy or production of a certain trade within that country and since we live in a globalized world it could have massive negative outcomes. Not only could it hurt the economy but terrorist attacks primarily target civilians who have nothing to do with the cause that they are upset about in the first place. To attack innocent civilians is a coward’s way to try and fix issues that the terrorists are trying to accomplish and the international community should not stand for it.

The terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India were a tragedy that should have never happened. There is evidence that supposedly shows that Pakistani militias were the organization that caused the attacks but why would you attack people that have no say in the overall decision of the government. By killing innocent people it does not further the groups goals but hinders them. This terrorist attack is more sensitive because the country that was attacked and the country that has been accused of allowing the terrorist to operate are both nuclear powers and this attack could start a nuclear war. That is why the international community should form a coalition like in the first Gulf War and apprehend terrorist groups and other groups that cause destruction.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27928718/

How Far is to Far?

With the recent Presidential election happening only a week ago and the news of U.S. Special Forces conducting raids into Pakistan the question needs to be asked, just how far can a country go in the pursuit of terrorists and terrorist organizations. The one golden rule in international relations is that a country must respect another country’s sovereignty but in the pursuit of terrorist organizations that have no territory or borders is it ok for forces to pursue terrorists by disregarding a county’s sovereignty. In the last month President Bush has sent U.S. Special Forces into Pakistan to kill or capture terrorists that hide along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In this area there are no real markers that depict the line of the border.

In the recent election President-elect Obama has said that he will actively seek out Osama Bin Laden and bring him to justice. But how far can one country go in pursuing a terrorist. With President Bush sending U.S. Special Forces into Pakistan he is committing an act of war under international law. This begins a slippery slope that no country wants to begin down. If a country is allowed to enter five miles to apprehend a terrorist then one country will push it to ten or twenty miles. For the pursuit of terrorists there needs to be no boundaries in order to bring them to justice but there also needs to be an international coalition of countries that are working together to ensure that no one country is abusing power and that a country’s sovereignty is respected.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090300523.html

A New Kind of War

September 11, 2001 was a defining moment in history. It showed that the wars of the future are not going to be fought between various countries but it will be fought by countries against small splinter terrorist organizations. Terrorism and the fight against terrorism is not a new idea. The idea of terrorism has been around for about forty years but the terrorism that the world sees today is a relatively new way to terrorize. Most terrorist groups in the past want to make a political statement and did not want casualties. Terrorist groups like the IRA and the Weather Underground would notify the authorities before they set off a bomb. But the terrorism the world sees today wants a mass number of casualties from every attack.

The Israeli Palestine conflict is the first example of terrorism as it is known today. During the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany a Palestine terrorist group took control of the Israeli Olympians sleeping quarters and killed several Israeli Olympians and took the rest hostage. Eventually all Palestine and Israelis were killed. Today the conflict is still ongoing and the Palestinians still use terrorist tactics to kill Israelis. It is a conflict that was the first to see the devastation that terrorist tactics have on a society. On a daily basis Israelis die because of suicide bombings.

The wars of the future are not going to be like the Cold War or World War II. It will be a war where the enemy lives in the population and one can not tell an enemy from a civilian. Forces will have to go door to door to flush the enemy out of hiding.

No Longer an “Axis of Evil”

On Friday the Bush Administration removed North Korea from the “Blacklist”. The “Blacklist” is the list of countries that are suspected of helping or harboring terrorists. In the beginning of the Bush Administration, President Bush called Iraq, Iran, and North Korea the “axis of evil” and said that these countries supported terrorism. Until recently President Bush has maintained a hard stance with the countries on the “blacklist” and did not negotiate with them.

North Korea has agreed not to start its reactor since it has been taken off the “Blacklist”. With North Korea agreeing not to restart their reactor after being taken off the “Blacklist” it may allow North Korea to feel open to it neighbors and be willing to have peace talks with such countries as South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Also with North Korea not operating its nuclear reactor it will not produce nuclear byproduct which can make nuclear weapons. With North Korea being taken off the “Blacklist” it will make the American public safer by making the North Korean government not feel threatened by the United States and its allies and may make them more willing to accept American concepts and help fight terrorism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/11/AR2008101100261.html?nav=rss_world/asia

Are We Really Safer

Since the attacks on September 11th, the United States has rebuilt the protocols and techniques that are used to protect the structure and citizens of the U.S. A new office of Homeland Security has been created in the wake of September 11th to deter other attacks from happening. The question needs to be asked, are we as a country, really any safer now than seven years ago before the attacks?

In my opinion I think the country is still vulnerable to attack. There are so many icons, vital structures, and soft targets that we cannot defend them all. The agencies and protocols that have been put in place have deterred some attacks but when the people who are trying to commit these terrorist attacks are willing to kill themselves, their families, and friends in order to ensure that they kill “infidels” then you cannot stop all of the attacks. After the attacks security was tightened everywhere in the United States. Now that the attacks are a distant memory for many Americans security is starting to relax. For example, a ballpark has so many entrances and exits that it would not be difficult for a terrorist to sneak in and plant a device on game day that could kill and hurt thousands. That is a terrible event and I hope it never happens but it is a plausible event. After the attacks there was security everywhere in a ballpark now instead of using humans to guard entrances and areas the ball parks are now using wire fences that could be easily cut.

America needs to realize that even though there are federal agencies protecting us from terrorism it is creating a false sense of security. Just because there are agencies in place to stop attacks does not mean there will never be another attack. Condoms work 99.9% but there is still that 0.01% where it fails. Americans need to realize that an attack can happen and that they need to be prepared with exit plans, supplies, and shelter in case help cannot be there quickly. Americans should not live their life in fear but they need to be vigilant of their surroundings and the actions going on around them so they can report suspicious activity to the authorities.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2005/050623-delaware-targets.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/report/gao/ai98092.pdf#xml=http://www.globalsecurity.org/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/webinator/search/pdfhi.txt?query=security&pr=default&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&rdepth=0&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=48cc9c4737

What is Terrorism

The definition of terrorism as found in AR 525-13 is "the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious or ideological in nature. This is done through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear. Terrorism involves a criminal act that is often symbolic and intended to influence an audience beyond the immediate victims."

To completely understand what terrorism is and where it comes from, one must understand the various types of terrorism. One type is state sponsored terrorism which is usually used by countries like Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Libya, etc. These countries have been known to or are suspected of giving aid, support, and planning terrorist attacks. Iran for example has the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security which is known for planning and giving support for terrorist acts. Iran is a strong voice of the anti-Israel thought in the Middle East.

The second type is fundamentalist, revolutionary, or religious groups that use terrorism as a way to try and get their message heard. Some known terrorist groups are al-Qaida, Hizballah, Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), etc. The most well know attack by a terrorist group was the attacks on September 11, 2001. Al-Qaida high jacked commercial jets and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

These two types of terrorism are the current threat to the American way of life. No longer is it another super power, like during the Cold War, where the territories were known. It is now a conflict where an attack can happen anytime or anywhere. With these terrorist groups having the ability to be backed by Rouge States it makes major terrorist attacks even more likely to happen because they have access to more funds and equipment.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/report/2004/pgt_2003/pgt_2003_31644pf.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/it0468/lsn1.htm