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Gina's Final Project on Causes and Justification of Terrorism
- 1. Gina Week 7 Final Project Presentation
- 2. Introduction September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were viewed as acts of war against the U.S and its associates, as well as, the concept of civilized societies For this reason, the world is mandated to fight and respond to terrorism. This is attributable to the fact that terrorism endeavors to destroy and threaten individuals way of life and freedoms.
- 3. Motivation and Causes of Terrorism Terrorism is the utilization of violence with the primary objective of fulfilling an ideological or political goal at the expense of the populace(Colucci, 2013). Its causes is not limited to a single factor rather multiple factors including: Religion, Political and Socio- economic factors
- 4. Religious Causes of Terrorism Some religion promotes the concept of martyrdom As a result, some suicide attacks in the middle East are considered the responsibility of Islamic martyrdom. Some religious leaders also exploit and interpret religious texts and principles to promote acts of terrorism Arguably, some religious theme motivates acts of terrorism including extremist violence
- 5. Political Causes of Terrorism Government repression Undemocratic societies Government inability to provide its population with the basic standards of living The need to correct a political wrong
- 6. Socio-Economic Factors that causes and Motivates Terrorism Absence of Education Poverty Absence of political freedom Increased rates of unemployment
- 7. Whether or Not the US War on Terror is Justified The United States has involved itself in various war in its endeavor to deal with extremist or terror threat. The most affected countries include Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and other conflict ridden countries in South East Asia, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa As a result, the United States is shifting away from counterterrorism to counterinsurgency(CSIS, 2015)
- 8. Continuation: Justification of War Against Terror To promote democracy To secure their nation from terrorism threats To safeguard international law To safeguard the rights of human to live
- 9. Critics Say on United States War on Terror According to critics, Americans involvement in war against terror is not justifiable. Its involvement has resulted in thousands of civilians being killed through air strikes. The government is spending lots of money in countering terrorism rather than channeling it towards building the nation.
- 10. Continuation Critics further argue that the war on terror is an ideology perpetuated by the United States to instill fear in the population(Global Policy Forum, 2018). It is also a means of promoting repression while at the same time creating violence and enemies This is instead of it strengthening security and mitigating terrorist activities It is also viewed as an excuse by governments to oppress the opposing groups while disregarding civil liberties and international law(Global Policy Forum, 2018).
- 11. From research, it is evident that terrorism is not limited to a single individual, religion, or political regimes It is caused by socio-economic, political, and religious factors. The US war against terror is justified on the basis that its attempts to bring order in the world, safeguard human rights, and protect civil liberties. On the contrary, critics of the war contends that it is a means to repress and instill fear in the population. Conclusion
- 12. Ali, R.(2015, December 20). How homeland helps justify the war on terror. The New Yorker, Retrieved from, https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/how- homeland-helps-justify-the-war-on-terror Colucci, L.(2013, June 18). 10 reasons the war on terror must continue. US News, Retrieved from, https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world- report/2013/06/18/10-reasons-the-global-war-on-terror-must- continue CSIS.(2015, December 15). Do we need a new strategy to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States? Retrieved from, https://www.csis.org/analysis/do-we-need-new-strategy- prevent-terrorist-attacks-united-states Global Policy Forum.(2018). War on terrorism. Retrieved from, https://www.globalpolicy.org/war-on-terrorism.html References
Editor's Notes
- It is important to note that the enemy of the individuals’ way of life and freedoms is not a single person, religion, or political regime. In contrast, terrorism is the number one enemy that undermines these fundamental rights as clandestine agents or subnational groups perpetuate it. For this reason, it is imperative to discuss whether the United States war on terror is justified.
- Terrorism exhibits its roots in political, social, or religious conflicts. These conflicts arise when the minority groups feel that the majority group is oppressing them. Thus, the government must address these issues to curb individuals from joining terrorist organizations. The causes and motivations of terrorism are explained in detail in the subsequent slides.
- Religion motivates suicide attackers by offering them moral justifications for their evil actions. A majority of them are indoctrinated at a younger age into the concept of martyrdom as quoted by Colucci (2013) . The victims grow up believing that they have a mission to fulfill after which they will receive a reward in the afterlife.
- Government repression is the suppression of individual’s civil liberties and political rights. The abuse of human rights causes people to be angry and the only way to retaliate is through joining terrorist organizations and then attack the critical infrastructure of the government. Government’s inability to provide its population with basic needs such as employment, healthcare services, and education among others is a factor that contributes to a significant number of the youth joining terrorist organizations.
- The listed factors suggest that distinct categories of deprivation forces individuals to become terrorists or increase their susceptibility to being recruited by organizations that support terrorist acts.
- The United States war on terror commenced by the deployment of a few anti-terrorism forces. However, the U.S.’s involvement in war in the earlier mentioned countries is characterized by military presence. This aspect makes it unclear whether the country’s strategy to combat terror would result in peaceful and stable states.
- According to the U.S., terrorists undermine individual’s liberty and rights. Terrorists also threaten the security of the citizens and it is the responsibility of the government to make sure of safety. The U.S. government’s involvement in war against terror is attributable to the fact that it wants to protect international law. Colucci (2013) claims that terrorist organizations operate Quasi states and must be subjected to criminal trials or be captured.Terrorists also undermine human rights by killing innocent individuals in school buses, cafes, towers, and in bus stations.
- The war on terror has resulted in the death of approximately 2,000 civilians, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan through air strikes (Ali, 2015). Air strikes intended to kill ISIS in Syria has resulted in the death of 250 civilians (Ali, 2015). Despite these deaths, there is little outcry from the U.S. public.
- Given the consequences of war against terrorism, it is important for governments to tackle terrorism by respecting human rights and civil liberties. They should also respect international law and work in collaboration with distinct governments across the world. Likewise, the root causes and history of terrorism must be addressed, including poverty, violence, and prejudice that results in alienation.
- -To end terrorism activities, governments have to address its root causes and understand its history. Failure to act accordingly will force those feeling alienated to seek refuge in terrorist organizations.